Reid Lake burnout operation a success: fire officials
N.W.T.'s Hwy 4 remains closed from Reid Lake to Tibbitt Lake
All cabins have been protected and a burnout operation designed to stop the fire from reaching the Reid Lake campground was successful, N.W.T. fire officials said in an email to CBC around noon Thursday.
Firefighters are still mopping up several hot spots along the perimeter of the fire, which grew from 20,000 to 32,000 hectares. The mop up is expected to take up the next three or four days.
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Six fire crews, a tanker, two helicopters and a risk protection unit are working on the fire, said Judy Mclinton, a spokesperson for Environment and Natural Resources. Two more fire crews are expected to arrive today.
An evacuation order for the Reid Lake campground was issued Wednesday morning, with campers ordered to remove their belongings by 3 p.m. The campground is now closed.
On Wednesday evening, the government also issued a voluntary evacuation order for cabins at nearby Pickerel Lake.
The N.W.T.'s Highway 4 remains closed from the Reid Lake campground to Tibbitt Lake and people are advised to stay out of the area.
Jacob David Charpentier shared this video Wednesday of a helicopter flying through smoke near his cabin at Reid Lake with a terse message: "Holy smokes Batman!"