Yellowknife power outages likely caused by forest fires

Forest fires near the Snare Hydro System were likely to blame for at least two power outages in Yellowknife early Friday morning, according to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC).

Power went out on Friday morning around 12 am, forcing NTPC to switch to diesel power.

“Yellowknife, Dettah and Behchoko remain on diesel until the investigation is complete, any necessary repairs made and it is safe to re-energize the transmission line,” said an email from Pam Coulter, NTPC communications manager.

The fire is considered out of control at more than 20,000 hectares in size. It’s the same blaze that caused a power outage in Yellowknife last Thursday.

Crews have been working to protect values at risk, according to the department of environment natural resources.

Greg Hanna
Greg Hanna
On-Call Host & News Reporter

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