Aircraft moved from Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́/Fort Simpson airport as wildfire approaches

The Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́/Fort Simpson wildfire remains a “dynamic situation,” but As of 6:30 pm July 4th, there are no confirmed loss of primary residential structures, says NWT Fire.

The Village of Fort Simpson has begun a damage assessment and will notify property owners of any damage.

Stated NWT Fire: “A significant fire run occurred to the south along the western side of the airport towards the Liard River, but airport infrastructure has not been directly impacted, although smoke has limited operations out of the airport.”

However, all aircraft were repositioned before visibility shut down airport operations and continued to operate out of other locations.

Meanwhile, wildfire FS015-26 remains 12 kilometres north of Pedzéh Kı̨́/Wrigley, after a day of “increased fire activity,” stated NWT Fire’s evening report.

Winds continue from the North, placing more pressure on the southern portion of the fire as they also dry out fuels available to the blaze.

Aircraft are being assigned to the incident as they are available and when the area can be accessed.

Heavy equipment is being used to widen the fire break close to the community.

No losses of cabins or structures reported or observed at this time.

Wildfire crews and aircraft responded aggressively and immediately on initial attack, but “extreme fire weather conditions and poor visibility overwhelmed these efforts,” stated NWT Fire.

Structure protection continues to be deployed across the evacuated community’s edge and at at-risk critical infrastructure — with a priority on North end of the community and critical infrastructure.

An ignition specialist continues to assess opportunities for ignition operations — carefully planned, intentionally set fires intended to remove vegetation in the fire’s path — to head off the fire’s growth using natural features and breaks in forest fuels.

Perimeter suppression strategies are being reassessed daily for the long-term management of this fire, stated NWT Fire.

The Fort Simpson RCMP continues to work collaboratively with its partners to support wildfire relief and enforcement efforts, stated a social media post.

“The situation remains challenging in Fort Simpson, and first responders — including the RCMP — are not letting their guard down,” stated the post.

“Some positive news: our officers and a resident, Troy Bellefontaine, rescued a dog found by wildland firefighters.”

Continued the post: “We understand that being away from home can be stressful. We hope that knowing there’s a whole team on the front lines working very hard to protect Fort Simpson brings you some comfort.

“To all first responders working tirelessly to keep Fort Simpson safe — thank you for all that you do.”