South Slave update: N.W.T. Highway 1 may close off and on between Kakisa and Enterprise

N.W.T. Highway 1 between Kakisa and Enterprise is expected to open and close frequently on Sunday night due to a wildfire, according to the N.W.T. Department of Infrastructure.

The closures will be between kilometre 87 and 168. Highway 1 is the road that connects Yellowknife to Alberta. 

NWT Fire reported a wildfire crossed the highway Sunday at km 130 near Heart Lake.

The last word from NWT Fire Saturday evening had the Hay River wildfire about eight kilometres south of the community,10 kilometres south of Kátł'odeeche First Nation and 14 kilometres from Kakisa. All these communities remain under evacuation orders.

The Hay River RCMP announced in a news release Sunday that its phone lines were down. Police asked those in Hay River experiencing an emergency to call the Yellowknife RCMP at 1-867-669-1111 and to tell the dispatcher it relates to a Hay River matter. 

"The issue is being looked into but there is no estimated time for repair," Hay River RCMP said.

CBC News attempted to call other Hay River numbers and no calls went through. 

No quick return for Hay River residents

Residents of Hay River who are waiting for the wildfire risk to die down so they can return home will need to wait a while longer.

The timeline for re-entry is weeks, not days, said Mayor Kandis Jameson Sunday morning.

"It is very dangerous here, especially with the warm, dry weather and steady winds this week," Jameson said in a statement.

"Please stay away from the community."

Jameson said workers have set up a roadblock on the highway at Enterprise to stop people from going back to the town, since Hay River is without basic services and fire crews have to be able to access any part of the town at any time.

"Often, firefighters need to rush to an area to deal with a flareup or shore up protection," she said.

Military aid on the way for Hay River

In its own update, the Town of Hay River said the southeast part of the fire flared up Saturday. Aircraft helped address that, and are expected to keep making drops on the fire today as light northerly winds keep smoke out of the area.

One hundred military personnel are arriving to help with that fire and are expected to be deployed shortly, the town said.

Meanwhile, bulldozers have been out and structural protection crews spent some time Saturday working along the highway until winds picked up and forced them to change tack.

"The crews then focused on saving and protecting power poles which will be in short supply across Canada," the town said.

Two crews are spending Sunday putting out hot spots in Paradise Gardens and putting fire suppression measures in place.

N.W.T. RCMP said five Hay River officers have returned to the community to start patrolling, in the wake of social media reports of widespread break-ins. Those officers haven't found any evidence of break-ins yet, and reports of looting appear to be untrue, police said.

Those officers will stay there as long as they can, but are all on notice to leave if the wildfire picks up.

"The return of RCMP officers to Hay River does not mean that it is safe for residents to return," the RCMP wrote Sunday morning.

Fort Smith wildfire expected to roar back to life Sunday

The enormous, out-of-control wildfire burning four kilometres south of Fort Smith, N.W.T., is expected to give wildland firefighters a real battle Sunday.

N.W.T. fire information officer Mike Westwick said Sunday afternoon that crews are in for a difficult day, with westerly winds blowing the Wood Buffalo fire directly toward the community.

"People across Canada, Fort Smith needs your thoughts and prayers if you're giving them," he said.

On Sunday morning, Fort Smith Protective Services said in a posted update that some fall-like weather had helped buy them time, but that winds are shifting and the weather is warming, with smoke rolling back in on Sunday.

The community remains under an evacuation order, and the town has asked anyone still in the community to leave immediately to avoid putting themselves and responders at risk. People can go to the recreation centre for evacuation assistance.

Fort Smith Protective Services also warned residents not to re-enter the community unless they're supporting response crews.

"Every person that returns requires food, lodging and other services that are not readily available," it wrote.

"Every person that returns requires evacuation assistance if the fire enters the community. Please do not add additional strain to the already taxed support network in the community."

Over the past few days, fire crews have set up lines of sprinklers and cut fuel breaks around the town.

"The work that the team has been putting in there has been preparing for a day like this, and they're going to be battling hard down there," Westwick said.

"I would say, stand tall, fight hard and be safe, because it's going to be a tough day."

An update from Parks Canada Sunday morning said that the Wood Buffalo fire has burned more than 415,000 hectares of land — 4,150 square kilometres — so far.

Parks Canada said it has 265 personnel working that fire Sunday, along with 25 helicopters and 55 pieces of heavy equipment.

"Today the team will continue to look for opportunities to gently bring the fire to natural fire break features using planned ignition," Parks Canada wrote.

Highway 5 from Hay River to Fort Smith remains closed.