Significant rainfall and favourable winds are expected to reduce the fire risk around Hay River, N.W.T. for the next few days.
After two days of gusting winds and heat that whipped up the wildfire burning around the community, rain began to fall in Hay River Saturday night.
N.W.T. Fire said Sunday around 8 p.m. that about 20 millimetres of rain fell in the last 24 hours.
That will help keep fire activity down for the next couple days, but N.W.T. Fire added Hay River is still under an extreme drought and “that there is fire burning deep in the ground.”
“Today is the only rain in the forecast for a long period of time and clearing and warming is expected throughout the week,” an update from earlier on Sunday reads.
There were no new confirmed structure losses Saturday, the update reads.
But N.W.T. Fire says because of the fire’s proximity to Hay River and West Point First Nation, the risk remains significant.
The fire spread between three and five kilometres to the east Saturday, nearing the highway and pushing into Wood Buffalo National Park.
It is currently one kilometre west of Hay River’s airport and 500 metres west of the industrial area.