Officials in Hay River spent Tuesday adding several lines of defense around the community, including new fire guards and sprinkler installation to help protect key infrastructure.
According to the latest update provided by the township, fire smarting in Delancey Estates, widening the cat guard line, and a military site inspection all took place over the last 24 hours, with a mixed bag of a weather forecast prompting continued mitigation efforts in the coming days.
“An anticipated storm event is predicted for Thursday which may bring strong north winds from 40kmh gusting to 60kmh which has the potential to increase the velocity of the fire but also bring more rain,” according to a statement from the 6:30 p.m. update on August 15th. “Operations will continue to monitor and plan accordingly. ”
Officials say 14 evacuees were also airlifted from the community on Tuesday, as one flight departed Hay River for Fort McMurray.
