Firefighters in Hay River are in for a rough night as winds pushed a fire past defences earlier today.
“Extreme wildfire behaviour overwhelmed efforts,” said Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson on Friday evening. “Every effort is being made to move non-essential personnel to their safety.
“This is a very serious situation that we will be monitoring closely. Unfortunately, we are continually reminded that wildfires should not be underestimated and conditions can change quickly.”
All workers are being ordered out of Hay River as of 3:20 p.m. Aug. 25. NWT fire information officer Mike Westwick said a wildfire overwhelmed the GNWT’s fire defences and is now running parallel to the highway that leads into Hay River.
Hay River/Kakisa Wildfire SS052 is now 252,253 hectares in size. More than 200 personnel, 10 helicopters, 19 pieces of heavy equipment and airtankers have been fighting the blaze. It is approximately eight kilometres south of Hay River, five kilometers west of the Highway 5 Junction, 10 kilometres south of K’atl’odeeche First Nation and 12 kilometres south of Kakisa. It has reached Paradise Gardens and has caused structural damage in the community.
Officials warn anyone who remains in the community that “there will be no emergency services or response available.”
“High temperatures and strong winds created a ‘blow-up’ event,” said wildfire information officer Jessica Davey-Quantick. “There is currently a kilometre-wide wall of fire moving towards Hay River.”
Firefighter crews and air support have been pulled back but remain in the area.
“We need to regroup and reassess where its safe,” she said.
Emergency Measures Organization spokesperson Jennifer Young said there was an estimated 100 residents and up to 200 people, including essential workers, still in the community. A plane has already left the community and two more were scheduled to leave Friday night.
Structural firefighters are on standby to prepare for the fire.
Davey-Quantick said it was difficult to compare wildfires as each has its own characteristics.
“Each fire is unique, and the danger can shift in a single fire, as we’ve seen,” she said. “We act with an abundance of caution and in the interest of human safety.”