Update: The fire burning about 40 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife has increased to 2,400 hectares in size and is still out of control. Ground crews arrived at the fire yesterday and will be deployed again today if safe to do so. They are building helicopter landing pads and marshalling resources to the fire.
Ignition operations continue with the objective of burning off available fuels to the east and northeast of the fire. The weather forecast calls for continued hot and dry conditions with southwesterly winds and possible thunderstorms. The fire danger level remains extreme for the North Slave Region. The fire remains 42 km from Yellowknife and there is no threat to the community.
A fire burning about 40 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife has grown overnight, according to N.W.T. Fire. The update said an air tanker was to drop fire retardant on the southern and eastern edges of the fire last night.
The fire is burning out of control as it is now 1,300 hectares as of Saturday after being just under 950 hectares in size a day earlier.
The smell of smoke that filled the air in Yellowknife on Saturday does not appear to be connected to the nearby wildfire.
A fire ban was put into effect Friday for Yellowknife.
