The Dettah Fire (ZF085) is not posing a threat to the community or the Ingraham Trail, according to wildfire information officer Mike Westwick.
The fire, which is about 61,000 hectares in size, has been highly active over the past few days, but Westwick said firefighters have been monitoring the situation and taking action as needed.
“We’ve had aircraft up and we’re continuing to monitor that fire and action it to sort of tamp down activity,” he said. “We do have structural protection set up on areas that may have some threat in terms of remote areas.”
Westwick added that the fire is not receiving consistent action, but they will consider additional tactics and actions if required.
Meanwhile, as residents of Yellowknife continue to return home, there’s been a yellowish hue in the sky over the past few days caused by smoke from surrounding wildfires.
“Portions of the smoke were undoubtedly contributed by the Dettah fire, and a significant amount also originated from the South Slave Region,” said Westwick. “The south wind has carried some of it up to the capital.”
Westwick also said that while crews are still observing some flare-ups with the Dettah fire, it still poses no threat to the capital. However, residents can expect smoky conditions to persist for the next three to four days.
In a hopeful note, Westwick mentioned that weather forecasts are calling for a downturn in conditions, which could bring much-needed rain to the area and help alleviate the situation.