Forest lights threaten chalets and outfitters 60 kilometers east of Yellowknife. The firefighters say they are busy protecting infrastructure and valuables around the Watta, Campbell and Hearne lakes.
“We are really stressed. This is our life here, ”says Edie Yoder, owner of the Hearne Lake Lodge, a outfit that risks being swept away by the fires in the coming days.
It is a magnificent sector, we worked hard to protect it and it welcomes customers from around the world
entrusts Edit Yoder to CBC By satellite phone.
She explains that her spouse and she put [leur] heart, [leur] soul and economies of a lifetime
In this inn where they have been working since 2011.
Two fires threaten their property: the first is near the southern end of Lake Campbell, and the second is about 3 km east of Lake Watta.
According to the information agent on forest fires in the northwest territories, Mike Westwick, these fires were triggered by lightning, between the end of June and the early July. They gained momentum due to strong winds and dry conditions, the nearest fire being less than 10 km from Hearne Lake Lodge.
The fire of Lake Watta is the most worrying because there are also outfitters there, explains Mike Westwick, adding that we also find them at Lake Campbell.
Pack
We are preparing to take important papers and other things, if a fire reached us
declares Edie Yoder, adding that her spouse and she plan to camp on an island if they were to quickly leave their property.
N.W.T. Fire request The inhabitants to leave the premises due to the fires that approach quickly. For her part, Edie Yoder plans to stay in the surroundings and ensure that the sprinklers continue to operate.
She specifies that it is, for her spouse and she, the main protective measure: We operate for at least an hour to add humidity to the ground.
I think we were all traumatized by the fires, especially those of 2014, who could have been right for the outfit
explains Edie Yoder, whose property escaped her beautiful during the fires of 2015, 2016 and 2023.
An aerial view of the fire ZF015 (Behchokǫ/Yellowknife) between Yellowknife and Behchoko taken in July 2023. That year, 306 fires burned 3.4 million hectares to the Northwest Territories.
Photo: provided by Boni Charlo
Edie Yoder explains that several fires have already burned around her property, without her protecting her land, however: The place by which the fire could pass to reach us has not burned in the past. If the wind turns, the fire will almost be free.
The rain fell on Friday, however, gave him hope.
Mike Westwick, the information agent, explains that, due to the intensity of fires on Thursday, the teams could not tackle the lights directly.
He adds that this measure is taken for security reasons, but also because the intensity of the fires would make the direct attack ineffective. The teams then focus on protecting infrastructure.
According to information from Luke Carroll
