North·Video

Video shows N.W.T.'s Highway 1 after the burn

'Bit of a crazy drive down Highway 1,' writes Petra White of her recent drive from Yellowknife to Edmonton. 'They closed it again 20 minutes after I got on it. Fires burning all down the side of the road.'

Fires are leaving charred branches and devastation alongside N.W.T.'s main highway route

N.W.T.'s Highway 1 after the fires (Petra White)

10 years ago
Duration 0:16
This video by Petra White shows what much of the N.W.T. looks like after the fires. 'Made it safe to Edmonton. Bit of a crazy drive down Highway 1. They closed it again 20 minutes after I got on it. Fires burning all down the side of the road but I was too scared to stop and take photos there.'

People in the Northwest Territories are now taking a chance they'll get stuck part-way if they choose to drive south out of the territory. The worst forest fire season in three decades has led to road closures along the main route out, at times forcing people to sleep in their cars. 

N.W.T.'s highways.
Petra White submitted this video after making the trip safely from Yellowknife to Edmonton. 

The territory's Highway 3 has also been closed repeatedly over the last several weeks as fires lined the road, or smoke made it impossible for drivers to see. 

Right now, Highway 3 is closed between Behchoko and Fort Providence with visibility at zero for long stretches.

A three-year drought has fuelled the fires, largely caused by lightning, and there is still no significant rain in the forecast. 

Officials say the forest fire season usually runs until mid-September. 

Follow @GNWT_DOT on Twitter for the latest updates on road closures.