Any thoughts about having a campfire this weekend across the entire southern half of the Northwest Territories have been extinguished with GNWT fire restrictions implemented immediately.
Mike Westwick is the territory’s manager of Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation.
“These bans are being implemented due to high to extreme wildfire danger and extraordinary weather and drought conditions,” he stated in a mid-afternoon release on Saturday.
“They are intended to help protect communities, values at risk, and wildland firefighters by limiting avoidable person-caused fires which could become a threat to people and property.”
Firefighters work on a small blaze recently southeast of Yellowknife, on Great Slave Lake. (Photo courtesy of NWT Fire)
The restrictions add to existing bans implemented by communities.
The new ban applies to all communities — and land between them — currently not under federal jurisdiction. The restrictions apply to all territorial parks and protected areas.
Under terms of fire ban, you may not:
- Start, tend, or use open fire outdoors, including in an open fire pit or burn barrel.
- Discharge firearms with incendiary or tracer ammunition.
- Shoot or detonate exploding targets.
- Shoot fireworks or firecrackers.
- Ignite sky lanterns.
- Ignite signal flare devices or pyrotechnic bear bangers unless in an emergency situation.
- Store flare devices, bear bangers, fireworks, or firecrackers in a manner that may cause them to be ignited.
Burn permits are temporarily cancelled while this order is in effect. The use of closed stoves, barbeques, furnaces, or other devices suitable for containing fire may be used in safety approved gas and propane barbeques and fire pits.
The use of fire for exercising Aboriginal or treaty rights by Indigenous peoples are exempt from these restrictions.
The restrictions are effective for the South Slave through the end of the day July 26, and the Dehcho and North Slave until August 2, with extensions as needed.
Note, the GNWT includes Tłı̨chǫ lands in the North Slave administrative region.
UPDATE: As of 5pm Saturday, from NWT Fire information officer Amy Kennedy:
Five new fires were reported overnight and into Saturday. One was in the city of Yellowknife in a forested trail area known for unregistered camping.
SS040, SS042 (Little Buffalo River Complex): Fire SS040: Is 90-per-cent contained at 22 kilometres south of Fort Resolution, 4.5 kilometres south of Little Buffalo. Fire SS042: Is classified as being held at 2.7 kilometres east of SS040. Thundershowers expected tonight. A structure protection team continues to set up sprinklers and triage potential threats to structures in Little Buffalo River village and highway and proactively planning approaches for the community of Fort Resolution should this become necessary.
ZF035 (Yellowknife, Frame Lake, behind hospital):
This human caused fire was actioned, extinguished quickly, and declared out on July 19.
ZF027 (southwest shore of Lac La Martre, 20km north of Whatı): This fire had some growth over the last 24 hours and is now 20 hectares in size. Another crew has now been added and this fire is currently being held. It is not threatening communities, cabins, or infrastructure at this time.
For the latest wildfire updates, listen to CKLB or watch its website and social media channels More details can be found at the NWT Fire website and on the agency’s Facebook page.
