Officials caution that much of the territory will experience hot and dry weather conditions, with little to no precipitation forecasted over the next week for much of the NWT.
In the South Slave region NWT Fire reported that the Tulip Lake wildfire has decreased in size and continues to remain held.
The fire began on May 30, located about 5 km northeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 28 km east of Fort Smith. The fire has decreased from 14,167 hectares in size to 13,924 hectares, reported officials.
Officials said the wildfire poses no risks to the community at this time.
Crews responding to the Tulip Lake Fire mobilized an effective response and have made progress from the south perimeter of the wildfire to connect to the Hanging Ice River.
“They will work to further improve and secure the fire’s edge by mopping up areas of heat at least 30 meters into the fire’s interior,” said NWT Fire.
“Firefighters traversed the entire perimeter of the fire on Thursday, checking for heat, flames, and smoke, as strong winds and low humidity increased the potential for fire behaviour. No areas of concern were identified,” added officials.
On Monday night, infrared scans had identified hotspots and crews worked to extinguish those.
Crews reported that a deep ash pit in the southeast area of the fire was discovered on Thursday.
“Firefighters spent significant effort cooling and digging out the area to eliminate heat. This work will continue today,” said NWT Fire.
Officials reported that helicopters have been dropping water to control fire behaviour on the inside of the fire and reduce the risk of spreading through unburned fuels.
Crews removed the high-volume sprinkler system from the communities near the fire after determining that the threat to these communities was significantly reduced.
Firefighters are continuing to monitor the fire for any increased activity on the west side of the fire.
“Fire personnel are working today to implement any reclamation needs where the system was deployed,” said NWT Fire.
“Firefighting equipment, including hose and pumps that are un-needed on the fire are being returned from the fireline, cleaned and refurbished for deployment to another incident as needed,” they said.
While the Tulip Lake area is experiencing dry conditions with no precipitation expected in the short-term forecast, cooler than average temperatures are present.
“Today’s weather will be sunny with cooler temperatures and gusty winds from the north up to 25 km/h. Temperatures are expected to stay below seasonal averages,” said NWT Fire.
NWT Fire assured the public that the wildfire does not pose any danger to communities, cabins or to structures at this time.
A Wildfire Information Bulletin is available daily as this fire operation progresses. NWT asks anyone who would like more details to head to the webpage: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/services/wildfire-update/en/fire/tulip-lake-fire
In South Slave region, there is another wildfire located about 13 km west of Highway 1 in the Cameron Hills. This fire continues to be monitored by Fire crews.
NWT Fire has cautioned that smoke plumes from this fire may continue to be visible from the highway. The fire is located close to an area that burned in 2024, limiting its possibility for growth in the areas near the highway.
Fire crews have cautioned that smoke may be visible on Highway 1 and have urged the public to keep up-to-date on highway conditions at www.driventw.ca.
In the Dehcho region, a lightning caused fire, first reported Monday about 50 km northeast of Wrigley near the Root River remains about 1488 hectares in size. The wildfire is being monitored by NWT Fire. The fire is not considered a threat to communities, cabins or infrastructure at this time.
In the Dehcho region, a fire located about 74 km east of Fort Liard is about 15,654.00 hectares in size. The fire began on May 29 and crews continue to monitor its activity. There are currently no threats to communities, cabins, or infrastructure, said officials.
Another lightning-caused fire in the Dehcho is about 337 hectares in size. Crews warned of smoky conditions earlier this week.
“Crews continue to work on this active fire with air support, and additional crews arriving today,” said NWT Fire.
Structure protection teams are responding to the fire on the ground, installing sprinkler systems as a precautionary measure along the perimeter of the Wrigley community. Officials said the installation is 50 per cent complete.
“Smoke may be visible from the community. Weather forecasts predict favourable winds tomorrow, enabling firefighters the opportunity to set up a containment zone around the fire,” said officials.
Officials advised anyone who would like to learn more about where smoke in their area is coming from to go to www.firesmoke.ca
One wildfire in the Dehcho near Fort Liard is about 500 hectares in size.
“Tankers are still combating the blaze, and crews are on site today with air support to continue suppression efforts. Structure protection is being established in the Bovie Lake area,” NWT Fire has reported.
Earlier this week, NWT Fire reported that tankers began a response to this fire and crews have been on site with air support to continue work on the fire. Structure protection was set up in the Bovie Lake area.
Near Naylor’s Landing on the other side of the Mackenzie River from both Fort Simpson and Jean-Marie River another smaller wildfire is less than one hectares in size and is also not considered a threat to the community, cabins or infrastructure at this time, said officials.
Much of the territories are forecasted to see hot and dry weather conditions, with no precipitation expected over the next week along with a potential for gusty winds, said NWT Fire
NWT Fire is asking the public to pay close attention to fire danger weather alerts and to avoid campfires if fire danger is high or extreme. They urge the public to follow any fire bans in place.
For more information about fire danger and to access the live fire map along with detailed updates, head to www.nwtfire.com.
