Fort Good Hope remains under an evacuation order and it’s dangerous and irresponsible for anyone to return to the community, residents or not.
Stated the GNWT on Sunday: “We can confirm from all levels of emergency management that there are no plans to move any evacuees back to the community at this time.”
The Territorial Emergency Management Organization advised people what to expect if they choose to go against an evacuation order.
“Knowing your risks in an emergency will help you make informed decisions,” the organization stated in a notice.
NWT skimmer plane drops water on the Fort Good Hope VQ001 wildfire on the weekend. (Photo courtesy of NWT Fire)
“Responders may not be able to come to your rescue if they don’t know that you need help, or if it is unsafe for them to attempt to do so. Please follow the directions of emergency personnel and officials for the safety of yourself and others.”
Chief Collin Pierrot asked that people stay away from the scene of the suspected fatal helicopter crash at the airport, which occurred Friday. As of Monday afternoon, there still is no official confirmation of the fate of the pilot.
“There is a reason why we have the airport roads sealed off, there is no reason or need for anyone who doesn’t belong to the forest-fire personnel or fire brigade to be up that way , there is a lot of yellow tape flagged off because of the accident that happened up that way , work with us.”
A passing cold front will lead to variable winds at Fort Good Hope.
Wildfire VQ001 is currently over 7,692 hectares, as of June 30.
The relative humidity in the area is somewhat higher today, though the area remains abnormally dry, reports NWT Fire’s Shannon Graf.
There may be some patchy rain in the area, of approximately one millimetre.
Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells may see some smoke sporadically coming from fires in Yukon and British Columbia.
The firefighters’ focus remains on reinforcing the control line around the community to prevent further excursions.
Total resources at present: Six fire crews and one fire tech; three helicopters; one group of air tanker skimmers; incident management team of 18; and a structure protection specialist.
The incident is supported by a local firefighter brigade working alongside ECC.
No word on when the evacuated residents will be officially allowed back.
