‘Significant’ structure damage in Enterprise; wildfire hasn’t yet reached Fort Smith

Northwest Territories fire officials say a wildfire has reached the community of Enterprise, but the full extent of the damage is still unclear. 

The Town of Hay River reported at 10:30 a.m. Monday that there was “significant structure damage” in the hamlet, as well as in the Patterson Road area and in parts of Paradise Gardens.

“We need to regroup this morning and the number one priority for all responders right now is getting everyone out safe,” said Mike Westwick, fire information officer with the N.W.T. government. 

“We just don’t have exact information on structural damage. However, we understand it occurs and we understand that it’s difficult to not have exact answers for folks.” 

On Sunday, most of the communities in the South Slave region were ordered to evacuate due to multiple wildfires either directly threatening communities, or threatening to close the highways that connect them to the rest of the territory.

As of Monday morning, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, Hay River, Kátł’odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, and Jean Marie River were all under evacuation orders. Kakisa remains under an evacuation alert.

Highways 2 and 5 were closed entirely Monday, while the portion of Highway 1 between Kakisa and Hay River was also closed, according to the N.W.T.’s highway conditions map. 

This video, posted by Jordan Evoy on Facebook early Monday morning, shows him driving through Enterprise, N.W.T. A warning, it contains strong language. 

Wildfire has not reached Fort Smith 

As of Monday morning, the residents still in Fort Smith, N.W.T., a town of about 2,600 right above the Alberta border, were safe, said Adam McNab, the community’s emergency management coordinator. 

Speaking on CBC North’s The Trailbreaker, McNab said about 70 people remain in the community, not including those working on the fire and other essential service workers. 

“We have opened up a shelter-in-place location at the recreation centre and will be moving people here, even if they aren’t willing to leave the community,” he said. 

“As far as I’m aware, very fortunately, nobody has been hurt and we are working hard to keep it that way.”

McNab added that the fire had not yet reached Fort Smith. 

Fort Smith issued an evacuation order on Saturday as a wildfire threatened to cut off Highway 5, its only route connecting the community to the rest of the N.W.T. 

Residents left for Hay River, about 200 kilometres south of Yellowknife by air, but a day later that community, along with the neighbouring Kátł’odeeche First Nation reserve and Enterprise, were ordered to evacuate due to a separate wildfire threatening to close Highway 1. 

McNab said officials continue to work to get residents out of Fort Smith. He said one Hercules aircraft had already taken residents to Fort McMurray Monday morning with two more planes expected later in the morning. 

Westwick said in the latest update, the fire had progressed to the Thebacha turnoff west of the Bell Rock area, just west of Fort Smith. 

With both Hay River and Fort Smith residents continuing to be flown out, Westwick said, “one of the largest airlifts that’s ever occurred in our territory is underway.” 

Shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, the Town of Hay River said a Hercules aircraft was on the tarmac at the Hay River airport, and that all evacuees must be at the airport no later than 9:15 to be flown to Fort McMurray.

A dozen vehicles ‘immobilized or destroyed’ between Hay River, Enterprise

In an update at 10:30 a.m., the Town of Hay River said the Kakisa, N.W.T., fire travelled about 39 kilometres Sunday night toward Hay River, pushed by strong winds. 

The road exiting Hay River is “not passable,” it said, and that there are no support services for the highway.

The town said the territory and the town’s fire department are working on structure protection, and that the western fire guard for Hay River is being expanded. Starlink internet is available at the KP Woodright shop.

RCMP officers travelling the highway between Hay River and Enterprise Monday morning reported about 12 vehicles that had been “immobilized or destroyed by the fire.” 

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Matt Halstead said on Monday that police checked each vehicle and there was no indication that anyone had been left in the vehicles. Police haven’t had any missing person reports “but we are aware that this may change,” he said.

Police have not gotten reports of injuries related to the damaged vehicles, said Halstead, but with the communication outage affecting the South Slave region, it’s possible that injuries went unreported.

RCMP have been evacuated from Fort Smith and are in the process of leaving Hay River. Halstead said police will redepoloy to those communities when it’s safe to do so.

Communications still down in South Slave

On Sunday evening, communications lines went down in several communities. 

At 9 a.m. Northwestel spokesperson Andrew Anderson said wildfire activity in Enterprise damaged the infrastructure that serves the South Slave communities.

“We do not expect service to the area to be restored within the next 24 hours at a minimum,” he said.

Earlier Monday morning, Anderson said communication lines were still down in Hay River, Fort Smith, Enterprise, Fort Providence and Jean Marie River, including Internet, long-distance phone and cell services. 

“We are co-ordinating with the emergency management officer to access sites and repair services as quickly as we can safely do so,” said Anderson. 

In Tulita, Délı̨nę, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, Wrigley and Fort Resolution, N.W.T., Anderson said crews restored phone and cell service, and are still working to recover internet service. 

In Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Tsiigehtchic, Aklavik and Fort McPherson, N.W.T., services are available but limited. 

RCMP said people that need police services in these communities should go directly to the detachment. 

“The phone lines may ring but the calls are not being sent to or received at detachments or by dispatchers. If calls are not answered it means that the phone services are impacted,” reads a statement from RCMP. 

As the telecommunication outage continued, N.W.T. residents created a wildfire safety check page on Facebook so those who are safe could notify loved ones.