The government is actively combatting three fires in the Northwest Territories, with two of them being attributed to human causes. One human-caused wildfire in the South Slave region has been contained, measuring approximately 0.0001 square kilometers, equivalent to the size of a large house, and originating on Monday. The Environment and Climate Change website characterizes this blaze as a “camp fire escaped.”
Additionally, authorities are addressing an out-of-control overwintering fire in the South Slave region, scorching about 0.05 square kilometers since May 9. Overwinter fires are those that remain dormant or undetected for a significant period after ignition. This particular fire was detected using infrared scanning along the perimeter of last year’s Fort Providence wildfire. Firefighters are focusing on identifying hotspots through scanning and eliminating residual heat using heavy machinery, with no imminent threats to Fort Providence, cabins, or infrastructure.
In the North Slave region, the government is battling an “out-of-control” wildfire spanning 0.001 square kilometers, akin to the size of a Canadian Football League end zone, which began on Saturday and was human-caused. Fire officials had previously cautioned that the current year might pose challenges for wildfire season due to ongoing drought conditions in certain parts of the territory.