Safe highway access, fuel supply, and smoke are among numerous concerns raised by Fort Smith protective services as wildfires continue to ravage the region.
Officials say extremely thick smoke has made fire behaviour less extreme than last week while causing some visibility concerns for crews.
Residents are reminded that despite this good news, the situation remains urgent, and it is still not safe to return home.
According to Fort Smith Protective Services, on several occasions, the wind picked up and cleared smoke and made the fire ‘quite active.’
Friday and Saturday are expected to be challenging days as the forecast predicts high wind activity and dry weather. Crews say they are preparing for potential fire growth and have spent the past two weeks creating containment lines, running high-volume sprinklers and removing fuel between the fire perimeter and communities.
Fire specialists say no one has seen drought levels this high before, and dry conditions are expected to remain at a critical level in the South Slave for the rest of the summer at least.
