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Wildfire update, Aug. 19: Overnight rain makes for “status quo” day in Yellowknife

Difficult conditions are on the way for the N.W.T. capital.


Some light rain overnight made for a “status quo” wildfire day in the Yellowknife region on Saturday, with the nearest fire remaining about 15 km from the NWT capital. On Saturday evening, the GNWT hosted a press conference on the state of the wildfire situation that included Premier Caroline Cochrane,…



‘It feels good to be home’: Rae residents can now return to their community

The community had been evacuated for 11 days due to wildfire


After 11 days away from home, residents of Rae were finally allowed to return home this morning. The Tłı̨chǫ Government announced on Wednesday evening that residents could return home just after 10 a.m. this morning, but power will not be restored until 2 a.m. this afternoon. The community was first…



KFN still hasn’t applied for disaster relief funding

KFN has not applied for federal funding that would cover 100 per cent of eligible costs


Update (July 18, 5:45): This story has been updated to reflect new information from Indigenous Services Canada. Two months after fire devastated K’atl’odeeche First Nation (KFN), the community’s administration still has not applied for federal disaster relief funding, and no funding is coming from the GNWT. Disaster relief funding is…




Residents of Sambaa K’e, Wekweètì returning home, but fire risk remains

Wekweètì was evacuated last week, while residents of Sambaa K'e were stranded away from home for more than a month


Residents of two N.W.T. communities threatened by wildfire are finally returning home. Sambaa K’e residents were given the green light to return home over the weekend. And residents of Wekweètì have two options for flights to bring them home from Yellowknife this week: The first Air Tindi flight leaves this…


Wekweètì residents evacuated due to wildfires

Two planes carried away dozens of residents as three fires threaten the community.


Residents of Wekweeti have been evacuated as a trio of wildfires threatens the community. The evacuation took place yesterday afternoon, when two planes arrived in the community to take fleeing residents to Yellowknife. About 47 people were on board the two planes, including many Elders and other vulnerable residents, according…