Latest Sambaa K’e controlled burn going to plan, GNWT says
After previous deliberate burns spiraled out of control, firefighters in Sambaa K’e say the latest controlled burn is “making good progress” as they prepare the community for wildfire FS001.
FS001, whose total area has burned nearly 300,000 hectares, is a massive fire that spans the Northwestern-British Columbia border but hasn’t gotten any closer to Sambaa K’e in recent days.
In fact, the Territorial Government states that an earlier estimate – that the fire was five kilometers from Sambaa K’e – proved incorrect and the distance was closer to eight kilometers.
Still, it’s uncomfortably close, and a team of more than 40 firefighters have been conducting so-called “small burn-back operations” to protect some buildings, in addition to a “blow-up operation” on the outer edge of Sambaa K’e.
“The incident management team has been working tirelessly to prepare for this and the team says it is progressing well,” the territorial government said on Tuesday evening.
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A fixed camera installed by Nav Canada on the Sambaa K’e airstrip, which is normally used to help pilots assess conditions in the area, captured some of the work taking place Tuesday afternoon.
Deliberately started fires serve to use up fuel before the actual wildfire can reach it, creating gaps in hopes that the wildfire cannot progress any further.
However, there are risks involved in deliberately starting fires, and a home was reportedly lost in Sambaa K’e when one such fire got out of control earlier this month.
Two other huts south of Sambaa K’e are said to have also been destroyed by the main fire, according to GNWT.
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Winds from the west or north-west came around Sambaa K’e for most of Tuesday and drove the fire away from the community.
Over in Wood Buffalo National Park the weather was similarly benign.
Parks Canada firefighters fighting a complex of around 15 blazes said Tuesday night that “temperatures and winds were much lower and relative humidity much higher than forecast, resulting in much lower fire performance and limited fire growth for most fires.” led.”
Should it rain overnight, Parks Canada said, it could allow more fortifications to be built against Fire 14 — which is relatively close to the Garden River — with heavy equipment and “potentially provide secure entry points for direct engagement.”
The fire remains 14 miles (22.5 km) from the Garden River and 4.7 miles from the “community evacuation trigger point,” Parks Canada said.
Fire 7 is approximately 20 miles from Fort Smith, while Fire 2 is approximately 43 miles from the city.
Parks Canada said it is “working closely with Alberta Wildfire and NWT Fire on Fire 7 containment strategies to limit fire growth in the North.”
Elsewhere, the NWT government reported a new lightning-caused fire in the Dehcho, about 40 miles (66 km) southeast of the Jean Marie River. Two firefighters were tasked with the fire, which has burned eight hectares so far.
Fire SS014, reported west of Fort Smith earlier this week, has now been declared extinguished.
Fire FS009 southwest of Fort Liard has been declared under control and is not expected to increase further.