A comprehensive fire ban has been enacted in select areas of the Northwest Territories, where 145 fires are currently active as of Friday afternoon. The ban, established earlier this week, covers all public and private lands in the North and South Slave regions. Thomas Bentham, a senior communications advisor for the Department of Environment and Climate Change, emphasized that similar regional fire restrictions have been enforced each fire season since at least 2023, with careful consideration given to the decision-making process. Bentham stated, “The circumstances have warranted this action.”
The ban was implemented due to extreme fire risk and abnormal weather conditions, aiming to prioritize community safety and prevent diversion of resources from naturally occurring fires to those that could have been avoided. Most territorial parks in the North and South Slave areas also adhere to the ban, although exceptions are made for utilizing fire in exercising Indigenous rights, such as for cooking and hide tanning. Additionally, the use of enclosed stoves and barbecues remains permissible under the ban. Visual representations of the affected areas in the North and South Slave regions are provided in the accompanying maps.
[Image Caption: A map illustrating the areas under fire restrictions in the North Slave region. (N.W.T. Fire)]
[Image Caption: Map detailing the current fire ban in effect in the South Slave region. (N.W.T. Fire)]