Winds could push fires closer to Fort Resolution, N.W.T., but firefighting should limit growth
Luke Carroll | CBC News | Posted: July 16, 2024 6:16 PM | Last Updated: July 16
Evacuation notice issued for Little Buffalo, Fort Resolution's administrator says people should leave
Unfavourable winds could push fires closer to Fort Resolution, N.W.T., and nearby Little Buffalo over the next 24 hours, but work completed by water bombers is expected to limit its growth.
"We're not too worried about that because when we discovered the fire yesterday, we had a lot of water bombers from Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife actioning this fire with retardant and water," said Thomas Bentham, an information officer with N.W.T. Fire.
"Last assessment that I had was, 'This looks good.'"
The two fires, one that's about 13 hectares in size and about 22 kilometres from Fort Resolution and 4.5 kilometres from Little Buffalo, and the other that's around one hectare in size and just east of the first fire, were caused by lightning and discovered on Monday.
Bentham said although there was good work completed on the fire on Tuesday, there's still concern as hot, dry and windy conditions are forecasted for the "foreseeable future."
"Which is really challenging for firefighting efforts. And we're going to see new ignitions happening often," he said.
Evacuation notice for Little Buffalo
An evacuation notice was issued for Little Buffalo, an area outside of Fort Resolution that includes several cabins and a few permanent structures.
An evacuation notice is the lowest of three warnings the N.W.T. will issue. It means people should be prepared to leave in case the situation grows more dire.
Tom Beaulieu, the administrator for Fort Resolution, told CBC News on Tuesday afternoon that despite it just being a notice, he recommends anyone in the area to leave.
Most people in the area either live in Fort Resolution or have friends and family in the hamlet or other communities they can stay with, he said.
Beaulieu said as of Tuesday afternoon, most people there had left, except for a few campers from Alberta staying in the nearby campground.
Beaulieu said in the event there is an evacuation of Fort Resolution, the plan would be for residents to go to Hay River.