FORT GOOD HOPE, N.W.T. — A wildfire that forced the evacuation of a remote town in the Northwest Territories this weekend has now reached the community, but officials say there have been no reports of burned structures.
In online updates, NWT Fire says the blaze threatening Fort Good Hope grew from two square kilometres on Saturday to an estimated nine square kilometres Sunday.
But it says crews were able to hold the fire back long enough on Saturday to allow moisture levels to rise in the area as nighttime set in, which it says meant less intense fire activity when the fire reached the community’s edge.
Residents of Fort Good Hope, which is home to about 500 residents, were told to evacuate Saturday due to the wildfire which, at the time, was burning less than two kilometres from the community, and evacuees were directed to Norman Wells.
NWT Fire says crews established some structure protection overnight Saturday and additional equipment is arriving Sunday, adding lighter winds should mean less extreme activity.
The territory says the fire is human-caused and started 3.8-kilometres northeast of the community.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press
