Officials in the N.W.T. are giving an update Thursday afternoon on the territory’s wildfires, as fire crews brace for tough days ahead — particularly in the South Slave region.
Strong winds from the southwest are expected to gust up to 40 kilometres per hour near Fort Smith, and up to 60 kilometres per hour around Hay River on Friday.
The wind could blow fires toward both of those communities. The wind is also already hampering the return journey for most essential workers to Yellowknife, after two fires in that region were classified as being held earlier this week.
The city of Yellowknife and the N.W.T. government announced it had put re-entry plans on hold Wednesday night, because wind was expected to whip up fires along Highway 1 near the Alberta border and force a shut down from Friday to Sunday.
Once that wind dies down, though, there could be a return to more seasonal conditions.
Below, we’ll bring you updates from Thursday’s news conference, which started shortly after 4 p.m. Updates appear in descending order, from newest to oldest.
4:41 p.m.: N.W.T. Fire information officer Mike Westwick talks about some of the extreme conditions crews faced when the fire overtook Enterprise.
Putting people in front of that kind of fire, “that’s not something you do,” he says. “We would have put a whole lot of people at risk if we put people in front of that fire, and I just want to make that very clear.”
4:40 p.m.: Emily Blake from Cabin Radio asks whether more could have been done to combat the fires in Enterprise, N.W.T.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Shane Thompson says the territory will be reviewing its approach to all the fires that have affected communities in the N.W.T.
4:37 p.m.: Juanita Taylor, a reporter with CBC News, asks what the territory is doing to address the logistical challenges of getting people home by road.
Municipal and Community Affairs spokesperson Jay Boast says people should take the time to plan for that now, and the territory will be putting out some advice.
Jeffrey Edison, with the Department of Infrastructure, says there will not be tankers of gas on the road, but the territory will be making sure gas stations have enough gas. They’re also looking at setting up porta potties along the route, and traffic controllers on the Deh Cho Bridge.
4:31 p.m.: Westwick says the Dettah fire has seen some large flare-ups in recent days, and air tankers have been working to calm those down. The fire is still not a threat to the community, he says, clarifying that Dettah residents are evacuated because of the fires threatening Yellowknife, and the challenges they pose to the transportation network.
4:28 p.m.: Mike Westwick, an N.W.T. Fire information officer, says there is potential for serious firefighting challenges in Hay River, N.W.T., on Friday. That’s because of strong winds expected to blow the fire toward the community.
4:25 p.m.: Boast says planning for the return to Yellowknife is ongoing. For example, he says the territory is working on a flight registration process for those flying home. He says residents can expect more details about that process in the days to come.
4:24 p.m.: Jay Boast, a spokesperson for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, says health-care staff are allowed to return to Yellowknife by air — despite the paused re-entry plan — because heath care is the foundation of the city’s essential services.
4:21 p.m.: Alty says there is still no date yet for Phase 5, which is when non-essential residents will be allowed to return to Yellowknife.
4:20 p.m.: Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty says Wednesday was a tough day, having to pause the return of essential workers because of high winds that are expected to whip up fires along Highway 1. But, she says, staff at Stanton Territorial Hospital are still able to make it back by air.
Alty notes that when Phase 5 begins, the hospital still won’t be fully staffed. That would take too much time, she says.
She urges people to be mindful of that, and be patient when they return.
4:18 p.m.: Sangris says the return of evacuees can’t be delayed any further. “Let us work hand in hand to find solutions, allocate resources, and expedite the safe return of all evacuated members of Yellowknife.”
4:14 p.m.: Sangris opens by saying he’s speaking as a chief, and a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, which has been forced to evacuate its traditional homeland. “Our heart aches as we witness the devastation that has unfolded. Displacing our families, disrupting our way of life, and challenging the very core of our existence.”
But, he says, the community stands united. “The bonds that connect us as Yellowknives Dene remain unbreakable, regardless of the distance that separates us.”
4:13 p.m.: Shane Thompson, the minister of the departments of Environment and Climate Change and Municipal and Community Affairs, says high winds are hampering the re-entry to Yellowknife: “While we are one step closer to going back home, we still have to wait for a little bit longer.”
He urged people to respect the current evacuation orders, so that everyone can get home safely.
4:07 p.m.: The press conference has started. We’ll be getting opening remarks from a number of people to start, including Chief Edward Sangris of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in Dettah, N.W.T., Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty and Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson.