A fire flared up overnight, reached Highway 7 and forced the closure of the route by late afternoon on Sunday, according to NWT Fire.
The blaze was previously brought under control, but heavy winds and hot, dry conditions allowed the wildfire to jump containment Saturday night into Sunday, NWT Fire stated on Sunday afternoon.
The wildfire grew to an estimated 49 hectares overnight, reaching Highway 7 at km 236, which is southwest of the junction with Highway 1. However, the blaze did not initially impact highway access "as air support were able to reduce its intensity enough last night," NWT Fire noted. That changed as the day wore on and the highway was shut down as a result of "extreme fire conditions."
"Our team continues to work to reduce the wildfire’s intensity and manage it over the long term. We will work closely with highways staff to ensure safety in the area," NWT Fire stated.