A fire outside of Wrigley, N.W.T., has not grown closer to the community since it forced an evacuation on June 30, but officials say winds on Sunday will be pushing it towards town.
However, N.W.T. Fire information officer Shannon Graf says that might not be a bad thing.
“Every time that wind shifts, it’s having to go over its old burn zone and it’s running out of fuel each time … It’s slowing it down,” she said on Sunday morning. “It’s giving the fire pause, it’s having a hiccup.”
That hiccup, according to Graf, is giving crews more time to gain control and move the fire where they want it.
“It’s having to really reevaluate where it’s going to go. And we’re trying to control that. We are directing the fire where we want it to go,” she said.
Crews have been reinforcing the southeastern side of the fire, which is closest to the community. On Sunday and into Monday, winds are expected to be coming from the north, which will push the fire towards Wrigley.
“So far our lines have held,” said Graff.
Crews have been working on treating hotspots actively with coordination from air support, including bucketing. She said the winds may dry out available fuel for the fire, which creates the possibility of flair ups, but the cooler weather has given firefighters the chance to reassess strategies.
So far, Graf said, there have been no losses of cabins or structures. Structure protection crews will be wrapping up their final loop this afternoon and setting up sprinkler systems.
Elsewhere, crews have been looking for opportunities to intentionally burn vegetation and starve the fire of fuel. Heavy equipment has also been widening the fire break on the northeastern side of the community.
“They’re cleaning it up a bit, going down to the dirt or mineral soil so that there’s no more fuel in there,” she said. “The fire is going to have a really hard time crossing that.”
There are no updates yet on when Wrigley residents can expect to return home.
“We’re making very good progress. This fire is not out. It’s still a serious situation. It is not under control,” Graf said. “It may seem like we’re going slowly, but slow is smooth and smooth is fast. And that’s the way we’re treating this fire.”
