Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 24, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

Wildfire activity picked up in the heat of the afternoon on the north and south portions of the wildfire. Smoke plumes were highly visible from town. However, containment lines continue to hold. At this time, there is no increased risk to community.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 503,034 hectares in size. There are currently 190 personnel responding which includes 27 pieces of heavy equipment, 10 helicopters and 82 firefighters and structure protection firefighters.

Minor precipitation is forecasted today and Monday however, afternoon temperatures remain high and wind gusts of up to 40km/h are expected.

High winds significantly increase the risk of falling trees. Land users are asked to exercise extreme caution when in forested areas. Recently burned forests should be avoided. Trees with burnt root systems or trees that are partially burnt can fall easily and without warning.

Closures:
The following closures and no stopping zones remain in place:  

• Salt River Day-Use Area, Salt Plains Day-Use Area, Pine Lake Campground, Kettle Point Group Camp and ALL trails within Wood Buffalo National Park are closed.
• Hay Camp Road, Parsons Lake Road (including Salt Plains Access Road) and Kettle Point Road are closed.
• Foxholes Road and Connie's Road are closed. Thebacha Road is closed to the general public, resident and boat launch user access only at this time.
• There is a NO STOPPING area on Pine Lake Road from Salt River Bridge (Park boundary) to the junction with Parsons Lake Road.

Area Updates:  

Pine Lake Road: Helicopters and ground based firefighters continue to work on containment lines in this area. Fire may impact access to the Pine Lake Road and the road may close for extended periods without notice.

Thebacha: Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road to secure the perimeter. The removal of structure protection along Thebacha Road continues.

Reclamation of bell holes is underway. Bell holes are holes that were dug into the ground and used as improvised reservoirs to provide a water source to structure protection sprinklers. Until all bell holes have been filled, please be aware of the hazard they may pose.

Fort Fitzgerald: Fire activity continues along Hay Camp Road. Crews are working with helicopters and heavy equipment to contain any potential spread to the north. Hay Camp Road remains closed.

Reclamation: Rehabilitation of dozer guards continues. Work is ongoing along Parson’s Lake Road and in the Pine Lake Road area and on average, crews are completing 3km a day.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• An evacuation alert remains in place for Fort Smith. For updates, please follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

Chelsey Dawes
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 23, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 496, 835 hectares in size.

Following a more detailed survey, the northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 146 kilometres in length. 57 percent of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 42 percent is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 99 percent of the northern intolerable perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 223 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 30 pieces of heavy equipment, 11 helicopters and 100 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

An inversion kept smoke close to the ground yesterday morning, helping to lower fire behaviour for much of the day. Today, hot dry and windy conditions are expected with winds gusting up to 35 km/h. Tomorrow, precipitation is possible beginning in the afternoon.

Work today may be hampered by high winds due to increased risks of falling trees.

Temperatures remain above seasonal levels while conditions remain extremely dry. The drought code has now reached over 1200. The previous record reached in the Fort Smith area was 840. A drought code over 300 is considered extreme.

What is being done:

Pine Lake Road: Yesterday, crews and helicopters worked on the excursion east of Pine Lake Road, minimal growth was observed. Helicopters and ground based firefighters will continue to work on rebuilding containment lines in this area. There is no risk to communities. Fire may impact access to the Pine Lake Road and the road may close for extended periods without notice. There is a NO STOPPING area on Pine Lake Road from Salt River Bridge (Park boundary) to the junction with Parsons Lake Road

Thebacha: Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road to secure the perimeter. The removal of structure protection along Thebacha Road is almost complete and power has been restored.

The Thebacha Road remains closed to the general public, however residents and boat launch users have access.

Some residents may notice bell holes on their properties – these are holes dug into the ground used as improvised reservoirs to provide a water source to the structure protection sprinklers. Crews will be reclaiming these over the coming days. Until they have been filled in, please be aware of the hazard they may pose.

Fort Fitzgerald: While the threat to the community remains low, yesterday’s high winds were favourable for the fire to become established south of the dozer guard. Fire activity continues along Hay Camp Road and crews are working with helicopters and heavy equipment to contain any potential for spread to the north. Hay Camp Road remains closed.

Fort Smith: The evacuation order for the Town of Fort Smith has been lifted. An evacuation alert remains in place.

Safety

Continued high winds are significantly increasing the risk of falling trees. Land users are asked to exercise extreme caution when in forested areas. Recently burned forests should be avoided.

Trees with burnt root systems or trees that are partially burnt can fall easily and without warning, especially in windy conditions. They pose a significant risk of serious or fatal injury. With the high drought codes even unburned trees may be unstable.

Reclamation: Crews are working to rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community. On average, crews are completing 3km a day of reclamation work. Work is ongoing along Parson’s Lake Road and in the Pine Lake Road area.

Closures

• Salt River Day-Use Area, Salt Plains Day-Use Area, Pine Lake Campground, Kettle Point Group Camp and ALL trails within Wood Buffalo National Park are closed.
• Hay Camp Road, Parsons Lake Road (including Salt Plains Access Road) and Kettle Point Road are closed.
• Foxholes Road and Connie's Road are closed. Thebacha Road is closed to the general public, resident and boat launch user access only at this time.
• There is a NO STOPPING area on Pine Lake Road from Salt River Bridge (Park boundary) to the junction with Parsons Lake Road.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

Chelsey Dawes
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 22, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 489,064 hectares in size.

Following a more detailed survey, the northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 149 kilometres in length. 57 percent of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 42 percent is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 99 percent of the northern intolerable perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 216 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 30 pieces of heavy equipment, 12 helicopters and 109 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Crews observed more vigorous fire activity due to high winds gusting up to 55 km/h. Winds remained high throughout the evening and are expected to continue throughout today and tomorrow.

Temperatures today are forecast to reach near-record highs of 25 degrees Celsius (the previous record high is 26.6C) Relative humidity is expected to drop just below 30 percent. South-southeasterly winds are expected to be 15 km/h, with gusts of up to 35 km/h.

Work today may be hampered by high winds due to increased risks of falling trees. High winds may also impact aerial operations.

Temperatures remain above seasonal levels while conditions remain extremely dry. The drought code has now reached over 1200. The previous record reached in the Fort Smith area was 840. A drought code over 300 is considered extreme.

What is being done:

Pine Lake Road: Yesterday, driven by high winds, the fire challenged and slopped over a small section of containment line just east of the Pine Lake Road. Crews supported by medium helicopters are working to suppress this slop-over. There is no risk to communities. Winds today may push this small finger of fire into a previously burned area, which would significantly shorten the fire perimeter. Fire in this area may impact access to the Pine Lake Road. The road may close for extended periods without notice.

Thebacha: Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road to secure the perimeter. Crews finished removing structure protection in Bell Rock yesterday. Today they will continue to remove structure protection along the Thebacha Road. Power Corp is working closely with structure protection firefighters to ensure the safe reconnection of power to homes.

The Thebacha Road is closed to the general public, however residents and boat launch users have access. Structure protection demobilization will continue after public access has been restored to the area – if residents are returning, please be mindful of crews working in the area.

Some residents may notice bell holes on their properties – these are holes dug into the ground used as improvised reservoirs to provide a water source to the structure protection sprinklers. Crews will be reclaiming these over the coming days. Until they have been filled in, please be aware of the hazard they may pose.

Fort Fitzgerald: While the threat to the community remains low, yesterday’s high winds were favourable for the fire to become established south of the dozer guard. Fire activity continues along the Hay Camp Road and crews are working with helicopters and heavy equipment to contain any potential for spread to the north.

Fort Smith: The evacuation order for the Town of Fort Smith has been lifted. An evacuation alert remains in place.

Hwy 5: Highway 5 is open to the public. Crews continue to work on demobilizing equipment. A speed reduction to 50 km/h is in place where firefighters are present in order ensure their safety. Please be mindful of crews who continue to work along the road – slow down and give them space to work as you pass.

Safety

Continued high winds are significantly increasing the risk of falling trees. Land users are asked to exercise extreme caution if they are in forested areas. Recently burned forests should be avoided.

Trees with burnt root systems or trees that are partially burnt can fall easily and without warning, especially in windy conditions. They pose a significant risk of serious or fatal injury. With the high drought codes even unburned trees may be unstable.

Reclamation: Crews are working to rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community. On average, crews are completing 3km a day of reclamation work. Work is ongoing along Parson’s Lake Road and in the Pine Lake Road area.

Closures

• The Thebacha Road is closed to the general public. Residents and boat launch users have access.
• Hay Camp Road is closed.
• Pine Lake Campground is closed.
• Connie’s Road, Foxholes Road are closed.
• Parsons Lake Road and Salt Plains Access Road are closed.
• There is a NO STOPPING area on Pine Lake Road from Salt River Bridge (Park boundary) to the junction with Parsons Lake Road.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 21, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 489,064 hectares in size.

Following a more detailed survey, the northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 149 kilometres in length. 57 percent of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 42 percent is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 99 percent of the northern intolerable perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 216 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 30 pieces of heavy equipment, 12 helicopters and 109 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Today, temperatures are forecast at 20 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity at 30 percent. Winds are expected to be 25 km/h, with gusts of up to 40-55 km/h.

Work today may be hampered by high winds due to increased risks of falling trees. High winds may also impact aerial operations.

Temperatures remain 5 degrees above seasonal levels and are expected to rise over the coming days.

Conditions remain extremely dry. The drought code has now reached over 1200. The previous record reached in the Fort Smith area was 840. A drought code over 300 is considered extreme.

What is being done:

Thebacha: Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road to secure the perimeter. Crews continue to remove structure protection west of Bell Rock up to the Thebacha Road. Removal of the structure protection is the first step in preparing the area for access to the general public. The Power Core is working closely with structure protection firefighters to ensure the safe reconnection of power to homes.

The Thebacha Road remains closed to the general public, however residents and boat launch users will have access starting at 4:00 p.m. today. Structure protection demobilization will continue after public access has been restored to the area – if residents are returning, please be mindful of crews working in the area.

Some residents may notice bell holes on their properties – these are holes dug into the ground used as improvised reservoirs to provide a water source to the structure protection sprinklers. Crews will be reclaiming these over the coming days. Until they have been filled in, please be aware of the hazard they may pose.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews and heavy equipment are working east from the Hay Camp Road along the dozer guard to extinguish hotspots in this area. The fire has burned deeply into the ground here and this work is anticipated to take some time.

Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed on a regular basis to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots.

Fort Smith: The evacuation order for the Town of Fort Smith has been lifted. An evacuation alert remains in place.

Hwy 5: Highway 5 is open to the public. Crews continue to work on demobilizing equipment. A speed reduction to 50 km/h is in place where firefighters are present in order ensure their safety. Please be mindful of crews who continue to work along the road – slow down and give them space to work as you pass.

Safety

Today’s high winds will significantly increase the risk of falling trees. Land users are asked to exercise extreme caution if they are in forested areas. Recently burned forests should be avoided.

Trees with burnt root systems or trees that are partially burnt can fall easily and without warning, especially in windy conditions. They pose a significant risk of serious or fatal injury. With the high drought codes even unburned trees may be unstable.

Reclamation: Crews are working to rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community. On average, crews are completing 3km a day of reclamation work. Work is ongoing along Parson’s Lake Road and in the Pine Lake Road area.

Closures

• The Thebacha Road remains closed to the general public. Residents and boat launch users will have access starting at 4:00 p.m. today.
• Pine Lake Day Use Area remains closed.
• Connie’s Road, Foxholes Road remain closed.
• Hay Camp Road remains closed

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 20, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 488,900 hectares in size.

Following a more detailed survey, the northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 149 kilometres in length. 57km of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 42km is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 99 percent of the northern intolerable perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 235 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 30 pieces of heavy equipment, 12 helicopters and 117 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Members of the Unified Command Team will be at the Town of Fort Smith's Welcome Centre located in the recreation and community centre, to answer questions about the incident.

Conditions:

Today, temperatures will cool slightly with a high forecast at 16 degrees Celsius and relative humidity at 35 percent. Winds from the north with gusts of up to 35 km/h are expected to remain for the next few days. Temperatures remain 5 degrees above seasonal.

No precipitation is forecast. Conditions remain extremely dry. The drought code has now reached over 1200. The previous record reached in the Fort Smith area was 840. A drought code over 300 is considered extreme.

What is being done:

Helicopters were able to resume operations and assisted firefighters with suppression via bucketing and transported crews to more remote areas of the fire line.

Thebacha: Crews continued ignition operations at the northeast perimeter of Slave River, to further shore up control lines in the area to help prevent the fire from spreading east into the community. Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road to secure the perimeter.

Crews will begin to remove structure protection west of Bell Rock to Thebacha Road. Removal of the structure protection is the first step in preparing the area for residents to return to their homes.

Fort Fitzgerald: Helicopters were able to resume operations and assisted firefighters with suppression via bucketing southeast of Fort Fitzgerald, where vigorous fire activity was observed. Crews and heavy equipment are working east from the Hay Camp Road along the dozer guard to extinguish hotspots in this area. The fire has burned deeply into the ground here and this work is anticipated to take some time.

Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed on a regular basis to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots.

Fort Smith: The evacuation order for the Town of Fort Smith has been lifted. An Evacuation alert remains in place. For updates on the Town's re-entry plan, visit https://fortsmith.ca/re-entry-updates

Hwy 5: Highway 5 is open to the public. Crews continue to work on demobilizing equipment. A speed reduction to 50 km/h is in place where firefighters are present in order ensure their safety. Please be mindful of crews who continue to work along the road – slow down and give them space to work as you pass.

Reclamation: Crews are working to rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community. On average, crews are completing 3km a day of reclamation work. Current work includes approximately 20km of fireguard along Parson’s Lake Road. Work is also ongoing on fireguards built adjacent to the highway south of Fort Smith and north of Fort Fitzgerald.

Closures

• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point has reopened with a speed reduction due to potential for unmarked hazards, possible debris on the road and crews working. The road may close without notice due to smoke or fire conditions anyone travelling the road should be prepared for delays.
• Pine Lake Day Use Area remains closed.
• Connie’s Road, Foxholes Road and Thebacha Road remain closed.
• Hay Camp Road remains closed

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 19, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

As residents of Fort Smith continue to return to their homes, members of the Unified Command Team will be available to answer questions about the incident at the Town of Fort Smith's Welcome Centre located in the recreation and community centre. Over the past five weeks, several hundred people have worked towards this goal, and it is wonderful to see the community start to bustle again.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 488,568 hectares in size.

Following a more detailed survey, the northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 149 kilometres in length. 77km of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 61km is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 93 percent of the northern intolerable perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 241 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 28 pieces of heavy equipment, 14 helicopters and 120 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Work yesterday was again limited to areas accessible by ground. A minimal amount of rain passed over the area, mainly east of Fort Smith, this helped suppress fire behaviour for the afternoon very slightly.

Today, temperatures are expected to break just below the 20 degrees Celsius mark at a high of 19 with a relative humidity of 35 percent. Southwesterly winds are forecast to continue at 15 km/h, gusting to 25 km/h

Daily highs remain higher than the seasonal average.

What is being done:

Thebacha: Crews completed ignition operations to anchor the northeast perimeter of the fire into the Slave River. This shores up control lines in the area to help prevent the fire from spreading east into the community. Crews continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road to secure the perimeter. Structure protection remains in place along the Thebacha Road until complete. Closures for all three roads are being implemented and we ask that you please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Poor flying conditions meant that work was limited to areas accessible by ground. Firefighters worked in areas accessible by ground to suppress active fire south of Fort Fitzgerald. Crews and heavy equipment are working east from the Hay Camp Road along the dozer guard to extinguish hotspots in this area. The fire has burned deeply into the ground here and this work is anticipated to take some time.

Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed on a regular basis to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots.

Fort Smith: The evacuation order for the Town of Fort Smith has been lifted. An Evacuation alert remains in place. For updates on the Town's re-entry plan, visit https://fortsmith.ca/re-entry-updates

Hwy 5: Highway 5 is open to the public. Crews continue to work on demobilizing equipment. A speed reduction to 50 km/h is in place where firefighters are present in order ensure their safety. Please be mindful of crews who continue to work along the road – slow down and give them space to work as you pass.

Reclamation: Crews are working to rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community. So far, approximately 8km has been completed along the Parson’s Lake Road and work will continue along the remaining 20 kilometres of the fireguard. Reclamation work on fireguards built adjacent to the highway is also ongoing south of Fort Smith and north of Fort Fitzgerald.

Closures

• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point has reopened with a speed reduction due to potential for unmarked hazards, possible debris on the road and crews working. The road may close without notice due to smoke or fire conditions anyone travelling the road should be prepared for delays.
• Pine Lake Day Use Area remains closed
• Connie’s Road, Foxholes Road and Thebacha Road remain closed due to active wildfire operations.
• Hay Camp Road remains closed

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 18, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Unified Command Team would like to welcome the residents of Fort Smith back to their community. Over the past five weeks, several hundred people have worked towards this goal and we look forward to seeing you in the community again.

Members of the Unified Command Team will be available to answer any of your questions about the incident at the Town of Fort Smith's Welcome Centre located in the recreation and community centre.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 488,300 hectares in size.

The northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable is mapped at 146 kilometres in length. 78km of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 39km is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 92 percent of the northern perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 269 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 30 pieces of heavy equipment, 14 helicopters and 139 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Warm, dry and windy conditions are forecast to continue today, bringing with them potential for increased fire activity.

Today’s high is forecast to be 22 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 25-30 percent. Southwesterly winds are forecast at 15 km/h, gusting to 25-30 km/h. There is a chance of isolated showers this afternoon into the evening however only very minimal precipitation is anticipated.

A modest cooling trend is in the forecast for mid-week, however the warmer temperatures are expected to return by Thursday and continue into the weekend. Daily highs remain approximately 7 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average.

What is being done:

Yesterday a member of the public entered the closed area along Foxholes Road while ignition operations were taking place. Unauthorized access to areas where active firefighting operations are occurring can put your life at risk. We know that many people are curious about the status of the fire but it is imperative to respect the closures that are in place for your safety and the safety of firefighters.

Thebacha: Crews conducted a small-scale ignition to help tie the northern perimeter of the fire into the Slave River. This will shore up control lines in the area and help prevent the fire from spreading west along the river Crews continue to extinguish hotspots along Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road. Structure protection remains in place along the Thebacha Road. Closures for all three roads are being implemented and we ask that you please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Firefighters worked to suppress active fire south of Fort Fitzgerald. Poor flying conditions meant that work was limited to areas accessible by ground. Crews and heavy equipment are working east from the Hay Camp Road along the dozer guard to extinguish hotspots in this area. The fire has burned deeply into the ground here and this work is anticipated to take some time.

Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed on a regular basis to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots.

Fort Smith: The evacuation order for the Town of Fort Smith has been lifted, effective at 8:00 AM this morning. An Evacuation alert remains in place. For updates on the Town's re-entry plan, visit https://fortsmith.ca/re-entry-updates

Hwy 5: Highway 5 has opened to the public as of 6 a.m. this morning to align with the Town of Fort Smith’s re-entry plan. Crews continue to work on demobilizing equipment. A speed reduction to 50 km/h is in place where firefighters are present in order ensure their safety. Please be mindful of crews who continue to work along the road – slow down and give them space to work as you pass.

Reclamation: Crews have begun working to rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community. Yesterday, a 5km-stretch along the Parson’s Lake Road was completed and work will continue along the remaining 20 kilometres of the guard.

Closures

• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point has reopened with a speed reduction due to potential for unmarked hazards, possible debris on the road and crews working. The road may close without notice due to smoke or fire conditions anyone travelling the road should be prepared for delays.
• Pine Lake Day Use Area remains closed
• Connie’s Road, Foxholes Road and Thebacha Road remain closed due to active wildfire operations.
• Hay Camp Road remains closed

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 17, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 488,300 hectares in size.

The northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable is mapped at 146 kilometres in length. 78km of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 39km is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 92 percent of the northern perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 269 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 30 pieces of heavy equipment, 14 helicopters and 139 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Warm, dry and windy conditions are forecast to continue today, bringing with them potential for increased fire activity. Today’s high is forecast to be 25 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of around 25 percent. South winds are forecast to be 10 km/h, gusting to 30 km/h

A modest cooling trend is in the forecast for mid-week, with warmer temperatures returning by the weekend. Daily highs remain approximately 9 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average.

What is being done:

Crews observed increased fire activity yesterday and a new dozer guard was put in place to help contain the new fire perimeter along Foxholes Road. Work is continuing to extinguish hot spots along the fire perimeter and reinforce control lines. Firefighters will be looking for ignition opportunities to secure the northern fire perimeter closest to Thebacha to the river.

Thebacha: Crews patrolled the fire perimeter in this area and extinguished hot spots. Active firefighting operations are ongoing in the Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road area. Structure protection remains in place along the Thebacha Road. Closures for all three roads are being implemented and we ask that you please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Firefighters worked to suppress active fire south of Fort Fitzgerald. Helicopters were able to assist with suppression via bucketing and deployment to more remote areas of the fire line. Crews and heavy equipment will begin working east from the Hay Camp Road along the dozer guard to extinguish hotspots in this area. The fire has burned deeply into the ground here and this work is anticipated to take some time.

Fort Smith: As members of the community return, we understand that people are curious about wildfire operations however to ensure the safety of our crews and the public, it is imperative to respect all fire-related closures.

Hwy 5: The fire perimeter along Highway 5 is now considered controlled and crews are demobilizing equipment. Highway 5 will reopen to the public as of 6 a.m. Monday to align with the lifting of the Town of Fort Smith’s evacuation order. A speed reduction to 50 km/h is in place where crews are present in order ensure firefighters’ safety. Please be mindful of crews who continue to work along the road – slow down and give them space to work as you pass. The RCMP are assisting with increased speed enforcement to ensure crew safety.

Reclamation: Crews have begun to reclaim and rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community, starting with the guard constructed along the Parson’s Lake Road.

Infrared Scans: Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed on a regular basis to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. Crews working areas throughout the fire continue to observe 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires excavation by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Closures

• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point has reopened with a speed reduction due to potential for unmarked hazards, possible debris on the road and crews working. The road may close without notice due to smoke or fire conditions anyone travelling the road should be prepared for delays.
• Pine Lake Day Use Area remains closed
• Connie’s Road, Foxholes Road and Thebacha Road remain closed due to active wildfire operations.
• Hay Camp Road remains closed

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 16, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 486,490 hectares in size.

The northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 146 kilometres in length. 60 km of this fire perimeter is now considered controlled, and 71 km is considered contained. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 90 percent of the northern perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 242 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 32 pieces of heavy equipment, 14 helicopters and 134 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Warm, dry and windy conditions are forecast to continue over the next two days, bringing with them potential for increased fire activity.

Today’s high is expected to reach in the low 20 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of around 30 percent. Southwesterly winds are forecast to be 15 km/h, gusting to 30 km/h

Although we’re seeing cooler weather overnight, temperatures remain approximately 8 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average.

What is being done:

Crews observed more vigorous activity with the return of drier hot weather. Work is continuing to extinguish hot spots along the fire perimeter and reinforce control lines.

Firefighters are making good progress, but more time is needed before the communities west of Fort Smith will be ready for residents to return.

Thebacha: Crews patrolled the fire perimeter in this area and extinguished hot spots. Active firefighting operations are ongoing in the Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road area. Structure protection is in place along the Thebacha Road. Closures for all three roads are being implemented and we ask that you please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews worked along the perimeter closest to Fort Fitzgerald to extinguish hotspots. With improved flying conditions, helicopters were able to resume operations and assisted firefighters with suppression via bucketing and deployment to more remote areas of the fire line. Work will continue to secure the perimeter south and west of the community.

Fort Smith: As members of the community return, we understand that people are curious about wildfire operations however to ensure the safety of our crews and the public, it is imperative to respect all fire-related closures.

Hwy 5: The fire perimeter along Highway 5 is now considered controlled and crews are demobilizing equipment. As members of the community return, please be aware of crews working along the road – please slow down and give them space to work as you pass. A speed reduction to 50 km/h has been implemented along Highway 5 between Salt River and Fort Smith to help ensure firefighters’ safety. The RCMP are assisting with increased speed enforcement to ensure crew safety.

Reclamation: Crews are beginning to reclaim and rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community.

A reclamation specialist is making plans for the reclamation of dozer guards within Wood Buffalo National Park, beginning with the guard constructed along the Parson’s Lake Road.

Infrared Scans: Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed nightly to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Closures

• Highway 5 is currently closed to the public from Hay River to Fort Smith due to safety concerns and limited visibility. Essential workers returning by vehicle will be allowed through the closure checkpoint provided conditions are safe for travel. For more information on highway closures, visit https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point remains CLOSED due to fire behaviour and active fire operations in the area. It is anticipated the road will re-open in the coming days with speed reductions.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 15, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 485,686* hectares in size.

After a more detailed survey, the northern perimeter of the fire closest to communities where fire growth has been deemed intolerable has been mapped at 146 kilometres in length. Significant progress has been made on securing this section of the fire. 60 km of the northern fire perimeter is now considered controlled. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire.

71 km of the northern perimeter is considered contained. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

Together, 90 percent of the northern perimeter is now considered contained or controlled.

There are currently 229 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 34 pieces of heavy equipment, 15 helicopters and 111 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

Warm, dry and windy conditions are forecast to return to the Fort Smith area over the next three days, bringing with them a potential for increased fire activity.

Today’s high is expected to reach mid 20 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of around 25 percent. Southwesterly winds are forecast to be 15 km/h. gusting to 35 km/h

Although we’re seeing cooler weather overnight, temperatures remain approximately 5 – 10 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average.

What is being done:

Crews took advantage of yesterday’s cool, humid weather to make progress on extinguishing hotspots along the fire perimeter. Firefighters are making good progress, but more time is needed before the communities surrounding Fort Smith will be ready for residents to return.

Thebacha: Crews patrolled the fire perimeter in this area and extinguished hot spots. As some residents return to their communities, it is imperative that members of the public avoid fire operations in the Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road area. Closures for both roads are being implemented and we ask that you please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews worked along the perimeter closest to Fort Fitzgerald to extinguish hotspots. Poor flying conditions meant that work was limited to areas accessible by ground. Work will continue to secure the perimeter south and west of the community.

Hwy 5: The fire perimeter along Highway 5 is now considered controlled, and crews are beginning to demobilize equipment. As members of the community return, please be aware of crews working along the road – please slow down and give them space to work as you pass. A speed reduction to 60 km/h will be implemented along Highway 5 between Salt River and Fort Smith to help ensure firefighters’ safety. The RCMP are assisting with increased speed enforcement to ensure crew safety.

Reclamation: Crews are beginning to reclaim and rehabilitate dozer guards that are no longer needed to protect homes and the community.

A reclamation specialist is making plans for the reclamation of dozer guards within Wood Buffalo National Park, beginning with the guard constructed along the Parson’s Lake Road.

Infrared Scans: Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed nightly to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Closures

• Highway 5 is currently closed to the public from Hay River to Fort Smith due to safety concerns and limited visibility. Essential workers returning by vehicle will be allowed through the closure checkpoint as long as conditions are safe for travel. For more information on highway closures, visit https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point remains CLOSED due to fire behaviour and active fire operations in the area.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 14, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 485,670* hectares in size.

* When visibility allows, firefighters use multiple tools to measure distances and size. These tools have various accuracies and are subject to change. For up-to-date estimated distances from the fire to each community, please see attached map.

As of yesterday, 21 km of the northern fire perimeter is considered controlled. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. 93 km of the northern perimeter is considered contained. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

There are currently 320 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 43 pieces of heavy equipment, 15 helicopters and 119 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

The Fort Smith area continues to be unseasonably warm and dry. Yesterday’s continued heavy smoke in the area significantly impacted helicopter operations for a second day. Ground-based firefighting operations were not affected. The smoke led to lower temperatures and higher relative humidity than forecast which helped to suppress fire behaviour. The area received scattered showers overnight, with an accumulation between .3 and 2.5 ml, which will help suppress fire behaviour today. However, due to historic levels of drought the fire status will remain unchanged until significant precipitation is received.

Today’s high is expected to reach 19 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 50 percent. Northwesterly winds are expected with gusts up to 40 km/h shifting to Southwesterly with winds at 10-15 km/h.

Hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to return Friday and Saturday, potentially leading to increased fire behaviour. Temperatures remain approximately 5 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average.

What is being done:

Based on the continued hard work of fire crews, the Incident Management Team was able to recommend that Smith’s Landing First Nation begin preparing for the return of Bordertown residents. These preparations will begin with the removal of structure protection equipment in the community. For information on re-entry plans for residents in Bordertown, contact Smith’s Landing First Nation.

While the risk to some communities continues to decrease because of firefighting efforts, threats in surrounding areas remain. Structure protection in the Thebacha, Fort Fitzgerald and Bell Rock areas will remain until the fire perimeter in these areas is controlled.

Thebacha: Crews patrolled the fire perimeter in this area and extinguished hot spots. Fire management personnel continue to assess opportunities to use ignition to help make the fire perimeter easier to control in this area. The perimeter in much of Connie’s Road and Foxholes Road area remains contained due to the significant ongoing active firefighting efforts of crews. As some residents return to their communities, it is imperative that members of the public avoid these areas. Please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews worked along the perimeter closest to Fort Fitzgerald to extinguish hotspots. Poor flying conditions meant that work was limited to areas accessible by ground. Work will continue to secure the perimeter south and west of the community.

Hwy 5: Firefighters continue to patrol the eastern portion of the fire perimeter along Highway 5 for any remaining hot spots. As members of the community return, please be aware of crews working along the road – please slow down and give them space to work as you pass. A speed reduction to 60 km/h will be implemented along Highway 5 between Salt River and Fort Smith to help ensure firefighters’ safety. The RCMP are assisting with increased speed enforcement to ensure crew safety.

Fort Smith: Crews patrolled the perimeter south of Fort Smith closest to the community to ensure it remains controlled. Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed nightly to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. The scans assign each heated area to a GPS coordinate, which crews use to zone in on the spots and take a “seek and destroy” approach, extinguishing them one-by-one. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Questions & Answers:

Q. What is happening with re-entry?

A. The Town of Fort Swift continues to work toward lifting the evacuation order with essential service workers returning before the general public. Information on the Town’s re-entry plans may be found at: https://fortsmith.ca/evacuation-updates

Pre-registration is ongoing for re-entry flights for evacuees from Fort Smith, Hay River and Kʼatlodeeche First Nation. Residents from these locations can pre-register until 8:00PM on Thursday, September 14.

Information on pre-registration can be found here: htps://www.gov.nt.ca/en/public-safety/re-entry-flights-hay-river-katlodeeche-first-nation-and-fort-smith.

We are working with communities to plan for their re-entry but are not yet able to provide a firm date.

Reminder: The Town of Fort Smith continues to be under a STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY and remains under an EVACUATION ORDER. The ORDER has been issued for public safety. If you are not an essential worked, please do not return until re-entry for the general public has been announced.

For more information on re-entry planning, please reach out to your community.

Q. I have returned to Fort Smith as an essential worker and want to travel down Pine Lake/Foxholes/Connie’s Road or to Bell Rock. Can I?

A. As members of the community return to the area, we have received requests to travel down currently closed roads. While we understand that residents may wish to check in on their cabins or are curious about how the landscape has changed, we are asking members of the public to obey all closures.

Active fire operations are taking place, particularly along Foxholes Road and Connie’s Road and in multiple locations along the Pine Lake Road. Fire crews are working hard to re-open public access to these areas and will continue to require space to work safely.

Important safety information: Areas without active operations that have previously burned remain unsafe. Extreme drought conditions in the Fort Smith area have led to the wildfire burning deeply into the ground. Ash pits 2-3 feet deep are common throughout the fire area. These ash pits are difficult to see and can cause severe burns and injuries.

Trees with burnt root systems or trees that are partially burnt can fall easily and without warning, especially in windy conditions. They pose a significant risk of serious or fatal injury. Even unburned trees may be unstable due to the extreme drought in the area.

Closures:

• Highway 5 is currently closed to the public from Hay River to Fort Smith due to safety concerns and limited visibility. Essential workers returning by vehicle will be allowed through the closure checkpoint as long as conditions are safe for travel. For more information on highway closures, visit https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highway
• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point remains CLOSED due to fire behaviour and active fire operations in the area.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highway
• Follow Fort Smith Protective Services on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/FortSmithProtectiveServices

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 13, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 485,159* hectares in size.

* When visibility allows, firefighters use multiple tools to measure distances and size. These tools have various accuracies and are subject to change. For up-to-date estimated distances from the fire to each community, please see attached map.

As of yesterday, 21 km of the northern fire perimeter is considered controlled. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. 93 km of the northern perimeter is considered contained. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

There are currently 320 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 37 pieces of heavy equipment, 17 helicopters and 177 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

The Fort Smith area continues to be unseasonably warm and dry. Temperatures are approximately 7 degrees Celsius higher than the seasonal average. Yesterday, heavy smoke in the area significantly impacted helicopter operations. The smoke led to lower temperatures and higher relative humidity than forecast and helped to suppress fire behaviour.

Today, similar smoky conditions are expected with temperatures in the mid 20 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 35 percent. Light winds from the South are expected to increase by late evening with gusts of up to 30 km/h. Light showers are possible overnight.

The drought code remains over 1,100 and will remain at extreme levels until significant precipitation is received.

What is being done:

Aerial operations were significantly impacted yesterday due to smoky conditions. As a result, crews used ground patrols to monitor the fire perimeter and worked to extinguish hot spots.

Thebacha: Crews patrolled the fire perimeter in this area and extinguished hot spots. The perimeter in much of Connie’s Road and Foxholes road area is considered contained due to the significant ongoing active firefighting efforts of crews. As residents of Fort Smith return to the community it is imperative that members of the public avoid this area. Please give our crews the space they need to work safely.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews worked along the perimeter closest to Fort Fitzgerald to extinguish hotspots. Poor flying conditions meant that work was limited to areas accessible by ground. Work will continue to secure the perimeter south and west of the community.

Hwy 5: Firefighters continue to patrol the eastern portion of the fire perimeter along Highway 5 for any remaining hot spots. As members of the community return, please be aware of crews working along the road – please slow down and give them space to work as you pass. The RCMP are assisting with increased speed enforcement to ensure crew safety.

Perimeter line south of Fort Smith: Crews patrolled the perimeter south of Fort Smith closest to the community to ensure it remains controlled.

Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed nightly to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. The scans assign each heated area to a GPS coordinate, which crews use to zone in on the spots and take a “seek and destroy” approach, extinguishing them one-by-one. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Do not fly drones near wildfires

Yesterday fire management personnel received a report of a recreational drone flying within the wildfire NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) area.

As community members return to the area, we understand that people may be curious about the changes to the landscape. However, flying drones (including those below 249 grams) above an active wildfire area is illegal and dangerous.

Flying drones over a wildfire endangers firefighting personnel and may cause firefighting operations to stop. Illegally flying a drone could result in fines of up to $15,000.

Question: What is happening with re-entry?

As the Town of Fort Swift have begun the steps needed to lift the evacuation order with essential service workers returning before the general public. Information on the Town’s re-entry plans may be found here: https://fortsmith.ca/re-entry-updates

The Government of the Northwest Territories has begun pre-registration for re-entry flights for residents of Fort Smith. Pre-registration for re-entry flights is now available for evacuees from Hay River, Kʼatlodeeche First Nation and Fort Smith. Evacuees from these locations can pre-register until 8:00PM on Thursday, September 14.

Information on pre-registration can be found here:

https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/public-safety/re-entry-flights-hay-river-katlodeeche-first-nation-and-fort-smith

While the risk to Fort Smith has been reduced, there is still more work needed to secure the fire perimeter close to Thebacha, Bell Rock, Bordertown and Fort Fitzgerald before residents of those communities can return. Crews continue to work hard on suppressing the fire in these areas and are making good progress.

We are working with communities to plan for their re-entry but are not yet able to provide a firm date.

Reminder: The Town of Fort Smith continues to be under a STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY and remains under an EVACUATION ORDER. The ORDER has been issued for public safety. If you are not an essential worked, please do not return until re-entry for the general public has been announced.

For more information on re-entry planning, please reach out to your community.

Closures:

• Highway 5 is currently closed from Hay River to Fort Smith due to safety concerns and limited visibility. Click here for highway closure information.
• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point remains CLOSED due to fire behaviour and active fire operations in the area.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update
• Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highway

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo National Park
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 12, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 485,159* hectares in size.

* When visibility allows, firefighters use multiple tools to measure distances and size. These tools have various accuracies and are subject to change. For up-to-date estimated distances from the fire to each community, please see attached map.

As of yesterday, 22 km of the northern fire perimeter is considered controlled. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. 93 km of the northern perimeter is considered contained. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

There are currently 326 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 43 pieces of heavy equipment, 17 helicopters and 177 firefighters and structure protection firefighters. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

The Fort Smith area continues to be very dry which contributes to challenging firefighting conditions. Today, unseasonably warm, dry and windy weather continues, creating conditions favourable for fire spread. Yesterday, crews observed vigorous fire behaviour along the fire line and similar levels of fire activity are expected again today.

The high today is anticipated to be in the high 20 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity near 20 percent. Winds will be South with gusts of up to 25 km/h.

Tomorrow, a small downtrend in the weather is forecast, bringing cooler temperatures, higher relative humidities and a chance of light showers.

The drought code remains over 1,100 and will remain at extreme levels until significant precipitation is received.

What is being done:

Weather conditions yesterday led to increased levels of fire activity and crews backed up by helicopter bucketing spent the day suppressing hot spots and flare ups.

Thebacha: Fire personnel used aerial and ignition to help remove forest fuels along the fire perimeter near Foxholes Road making it easier for crews to extinguish. Structure protection in place on cabins along the road was operated during ignition operations. Crews will continue to assess ignition opportunities along the fire perimeter in order to assist with suppression and control. Crews also worked along the road to suppress hotspots.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews supported by heavy helicopters suppressed hot spots along the fire perimeter nearest to Fort Fitzgerald. The perimeter closest to Fort Fitzgerald is considered contained. Crews continue to work on securing the perimeter south and west of the community.

Hwy 5: Yesterday, some increased fire activity was observed due to the weather conditions. Crews suppressed this activity backed up by helicopter bucketing. Firefighters will continue to patrol the eastern Highway 5 portion of the fire perimeter for any remaining hot spots.

Perimeter line south of Fort Smith: Crews patrolled the perimeter south of Fort Smith closest to the community to ensure it remains controlled.

Heat-sensing scans continue to be completed nightly to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. The scans assign each heated area to a GPS coordinate, which crews use to zone in on the spots and take a “seek and destroy” approach, extinguishing them one-by-one. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Helicopters continue to support suppression efforts by assisting firefighters with travel and suppression via bucketing in more remote areas of the fire line.

Question: What is happening with re-entry?

Based on the hard work of crews and the reduced risk to the Town of Fort Smith, the Incident Management Team was able to recommend to Town officials that they can begin the steps needed to lift the evacuation order and return residents to their homes. This will begin today with essential service workers returning before the general public.

Details on re-entry can be found here: https://fortsmith.ca/evacuation-updates

While the risk to Fort Smith has been reduced, there is still more work needed to secure the fire perimeter close to Thebacha, Bell Rock, Bordertown and Fort Fitzgerald before residents of those communities can return. Crews continue to work hard on suppressing the fire in these areas and are making good progress.

We are working with communities to plan for their re-entry but are not yet able to provide a firm date.

Reminder: The Town of Fort Smith continues to be under a STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY and remains under an EVACUATION ORDER. The ORDER has been issued for public safety. If you are not an essential worked, please do not return until re-entry for the general public has been announced.

For more information on re-entry planning, please reach out to your community.

Closures:

• Highway 5 is currently closed from Hay River to Fort Smith due to safety concerns and limited visibility. Click here for highway closure information.
• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point remains CLOSED due to fire behaviour and active fire operations in the area.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required.

For more information on wildfires, visit:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates: https://parks.canada.ca/wbnp-fire
• Northwest Territories fire information: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status
• Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard: https://www.arcgis.com/.../3ffcc2d0ef3e4e0999b0cf8b636defa3
• For up-to-date road conditions, visit the NWT Highway Conditions website: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highway

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo National Park
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 11, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 475,732* hectares in size.

* When visibility allows, firefighters use multiple tools to measure distances and size. These tools have various accuracies and are subject to change.

As of yesterday, 22 km of the northern fire perimeter is considered controlled. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. 80 km of the northern perimeter is considered contained. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

There are currently 358 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 59 pieces of heavy equipment, 18 helicopters and 185 firefighters and structure protection specialists. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

The Fort Smith area continues to be very dry which contributes to challenging firefighting conditions. Today, unseasonably warm, dry and windy weather continues, creating conditions favourable for fire spread. Yesterday, crews observed increased fire behaviour along the fire line and similar levels of fire activity are expected again today.

The high today is anticipated to be in the high 20 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity near 20 percent. Winds will be out of the South with gusts of up to 40 km/h. Winds are expected to ease and become light overnight.

The drought code remains over 1,100. The previously highest recorded drought code for this area was approximately 840.

What is being done:

Structure protection specialists have completed removal of high-volume lines and sprinkler systems in the Town of Fort Smith. While the threat to Fort Smith continues to decrease because of firefighting efforts along the main perimeter to the south, threats to surrounding communities remain. Structure protection in the Thebacha, Fort Fitzgerald and Bell Rock areas will remain until the threat lowers.

Thebacha: Fire personnel used aerial ignition to help remove forest fuels along the fire perimeter near Foxholes Road making it easier for crews to extinguish. Structure protection in place on cabins along the road was operated during ignition operations. Crews will continue to assess ignition opportunities along the fire perimeter in order to assist with suppression and control.

Fort Fitzgerald: Crews supported by heavy helicopters suppressed hot spots along the fire perimeter nearest to Fort Fitzgerald. The perimeter closest to Fort Fitzgerald is considered contained. Crews continue to work on securing the perimeter south and west of the community.

Hwy 5: Yesterday, some increased fire activity was observed due to the weather conditions. Crews suppressed this activity backed up by helicopter bucketing. Firefighters will continue to patrol the eastern Highway 5 portion of the fire perimeter for any remaining hot spots.

Perimeter line south of Fort Smith: The perimeter south of Fort Smith closest to the community is now considered controlled. Crews will patrol this area using sight, smell and touch to ensure no hot spots remain.

Heat-sensing scans are being completed nightly to help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. The scans assign each heated area to a GPS coordinate, which crews use to zone in on the spots and take a “seek and destroy” approach, extinguishing them one-by-one. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Helicopters continue to support suppression efforts by assisting firefighters with travel and suppression via bucketing in more remote areas of the fire line.

Question: What needs to happen before we can come home?

We know you’re anxious to get back home and we’re working with the Town of Fort Smith in doing everything we can to get you back as soon as it is safe to do so.

Structure protection demobilization in the Town of Fort Smith has been completed. The Incident Command Team will brief municipal emergency management officials to help inform the Town’s decisions on re-entry. While the threat to Fort Smith continues to reduce thanks to the hard work of firefighters, and we’re getting closer, we aren’t at the point where it’s safe for all public to return yet. Until essential services are re-established, the community can not support re-entry and an anticipated re-entry date for all public to return is yet to be determined.

For more information on re-entry planning, please reach out to your community.

Messages from your communities:

The Town of Fort Smith and Fort Fitzgerald continue to be under a STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY and remain under an EVACUATION ORDER. The ORDER has been issued for public safety. If you have evacuated, please do not return. If you return, you are directly impeding operations that are working to protect your community.

Closures:

• Highway 5 is currently closed from Hay River to Fort Smith due to safety concerns and limited visibility. Click here for highway closure information.
• Pine Lake Road from Bordertown to Peace Point remains CLOSED due to fire behaviour and active fire operations in the area.

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required. For more information visit Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates.

For information on other wildfires visit the respective webpages:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates
• Northwest Territories fire information
• Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo National Park
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839

Wood Buffalo Complex Wildfire Information Update – September 10, 2023 (Previously Parks Canada Fire 7, Alberta Wildfire MNZ003, and NWT SS069)

Managed under unified command between Alberta Wildfire, the Government of the Northwest Territories, and Parks Canada from the incident command post in Fort Smith.

The Wood Buffalo Complex was last estimated at 473,826* hectares in size.

* When visibility allows, firefighters use multiple tools to measure distances and size. These tools have various accuracies and are subject to change.

As of yesterday, 14 percent (22 km) of the northern fire perimeter is considered controlled. A controlled fire perimeter is the portion of fire perimeter that has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of fire. 58 percent (85 km) of the northern perimeter is considered contained. A contained fire perimeter is the portion of the fire perimeter that is not expected to spread given current resource commitments and forecasted weather and fire behavior conditions.

There are currently 358 personnel responding to the Wood Buffalo Complex, which includes 59 pieces of heavy equipment, 18 helicopters and 185 firefighters and structure protection specialists. These numbers fluctuate as personnel leave the incident for much needed rest and new personnel and resources arrive.

Conditions:

The Fort Smith area continues to be very dry which contributes to challenging firefighting conditions. Today, a powerful upper ridge will bring unseasonably warm, dry and windy weather to the area for the next several days, which may create conditions favourable for fire spread.

The high today is anticipated to be in the high 20 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity near 20 percent. Winds will be out of the South with gusts of up to 35 km/h

The drought code remains over 1,100. The previously highest recorded drought code for this area was approximately 840.

What is being done:

Structure protection specialists continue to strategically remove high-volume lines and sprinkler systems in the Town of Fort Smith. While the threat to Fort Smith has decreased because of firefighting efforts along the main perimeter to the south, threats to surrounding communities remain. Structure protection in the Thebacha, Fort Fitzgerald and Bell Rock areas will remain until the threat lowers.

Thebacha: Fire personnel successfully conducted a small, low intensity-controlled burn-off of approximately 4 hectares tying the fire perimeter into existing dozer guard in the Thebacha area. Crews will continue to assess ignition opportunities to remove forest fuels along the fire perimeter in order to make it safer to suppress and control.

Fort Fitzgerald: A 20-pack of firefighters continues to work along the eastern perimeter lines within and just outside of the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary, extinguishing active hot areas of the fire. Crews are also working the most northern east edge off the Pine Lake Road, putting out hot spots along the perimeter.

Hwy 5: Firefighters are patrolling the eastern Highway 5 portion of the fire perimeter for any remaining hot spots, but most of the work in this area is done.

Perimeter line south of Fort Smith: The extra hard work firefighters have been putting into this area is paying off, and last night’s scans showed no hot spots in this area. Today, firefighters will begin patrolling and monitoring this line, using their senses (sight, smell, touch, etc.) to ensure no hot spots remain.

Heat-sensing scans were completed again last night. Repeated nightly scans help firefighters find and extinguish hot spots. The scans assign each heated area to a GPS coordinate, which crews use to zone in on the spots and take a “seek and destroy” approach, extinguishing them one-by-one. Crews working areas throughout the fire have been reporting 2-3 feet deep hot spots. Putting out spots this deep requires significant time and effort. Hotspots must be excavated by hand or with heavy equipment and extinguished with bucket support from helicopters and lots of water from hoses.

Helicopters continue to support suppression efforts by assisting firefighters with travel and suppression via bucketing in more remote areas of the fire line.

Question: What needs to happen before we can come home?

We know you’re anxious to get back home and we’re working with the Town of Fort Smith in doing everything we can to get you back as soon as it is safe to do so.

Based on assessed remaining need, some structure protection is being removed from the Town of Fort Smith in preparation for the safe re-entry of critical services. The threat to Fort Smith is reducing thanks to the hard work of firefighters . We’re getting closer, but we aren’t at the point where it’s safe for all public to return yet. Until essential services are re-established, the community can not support re-entry and an anticipated re-entry date for all public to return is yet to be determined.

While the threat to Fort Smith has decreased because of firefighting efforts along the main perimeter to the south, threats to surrounding communities remain. Structure protection in the Thebacha, Fort Fitzgerald and Bell Rock areas will remain until the threat lowers. Fire personnel continue to make good progress on the eastern and northwestern lines close to these communities, where there are still some active areas. A recommendation will be made to the remaining communities as progress is made.

For more information on re-entry planning, please reach out to your community.

Messages from your communities:

The Town of Fort Smith and Fort Fitzgerald continue to be under a STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY and remain under an EVACUATION ORDER. The ORDER has been issued for public safety. If you have evacuated, please do not return. If you return, you are directly impeding operations that are working to protect your community.

Closures:

Additional wildfire information

All other wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park are being actively monitored and do not pose a risk to public safety at this time. Parks Canada will continue to monitor and action these wildfires as required. For more information visit Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates.

For information on other wildfires visit the respective webpages:

• Wood Buffalo National Park wildfire updates
• Northwest Territories fire information
• Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard

Report any wildfires or suspicious smoke in Alberta to 310-FIRE, in Northwest Territories to 1-877-NWTFIRE, and in Wood Buffalo National Park to 867-621-0136.

For further information, contact:

James Eastham
Fire Information Officer
Wood Buffalo National Park
wbnpfire-feupnwb@pc.gc.ca
403-497-4839