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EnvironmentWildres2TuesdayJuly222014NEWSBRIEFSRCMParrestassaultsuspectinDelineOnthemorningofJuly14a34year-oldmalewasappre-hendedbyDelineRCMP.Thesuspectwenttocourtlastweektospeaktochargesofassaultbreachofundertakingandpossessionofaweapondangeroustothepublic.TheallegedcrimeoccurredJuly12whenafemalevictim41ledacomplaintwithRCMPthatshewasassaultedbyamalerelative.Thesuspectwasfoundviolatingapreviousordertostayawayfromhisresidenceandwasaccom-paniedinsidebythreechildrenundertheageof12whowerebarricadedinthebuildingbeforebeingturnedovertofamilyafter1130p.m.Whenpolicenallyenteredthesuspecthadedthescene.FortChipRCMPapprehendsuspectinassaultcrimeDuncanMcKay29ofFortMcMurraywasarrestedonJuly4inrelationtoanassaultthatoccurredearlierthatmorning.Around1240a.m.FortChipewyanRCMPwerecalledtoaresidenceonAllisonBayReservewheretheydiscoveredanadultmalewithaheadinjurywhowaslatertransportedtohospitalfortreatment.ThevictimhadallegedlybeenhitwithabaseballbatbyMcKaybe-foreheedthescene.McKayremainsincustodyafterbeingchargedwithassaultwithaweaponpossessionofaweaponforadangerouspurposeandvecountsoffailingtocomplywithconditions.HewillappearincourtonAug.7.NormanWellsRCMPcontinuesearchformissingmalecanoeistThesearchcontinuesforamissingmanwhofelloutofhiscanoetheeveningofJuly15aftertheboatcarry-inghimselfandafemalepassengercapsized.NormanWellsRCMPrespondedtoacomplaintofacapsizedcanoearound930p.mbywhichtimethefemaleboaterwasfoundswimmingforshoreandwasrescuedbyanearbyboater.Asofpublicationdatesearchandres-cueeffortswereongoingwithlocalRCMPemployingunderwaterscanningtechnologytoscourthebottomoftheriver.NonameshavebeenreleasedbytheRCMP.NWThitsall-timedroughtcodehighWildresjoiningintomassiverecomplexesByDONJAQUETheDCordroughtcodeusedbyreghtershashitanewthresholdintheNWTanalltimere-cordhighof900inseverallocationsintheSouthandNorthSlave.TheDCisasophisticatedcomputer-generatedfor-mulacomposedoflevelsofprecipitationhumiditywindtemperatureandthedrynessoflargefuelssuchastreesaswellasotherfactors.Generallythebig-gerthenumberthemorewildfiresthatoccur.Condi-tionsthroughoutthesouth-ernNWTareforecastedtocontinuetobehotdryandwindythisweekwithlightningstorms.Firefightersarebat-tlingfourmajorfirecomplexesintheNorthSlavemadeupofmassivefiresthatareeitherburn-ingclosetooneanotherorhaveactuallyjoinedup.Mostofthefiresarenotconsideredundercon-trolandfirecrewsaredoingtheirbesttoman-agethemandsteerthemawayfrompeoplewhiletheyprotecthomescab-insandcommunitiesorvaluesatriskVARsasbesttheycan.OperationsOfficerJasonCurrieattheTerritorialFireCentreinFortSmithtoldTheJournalthattheReidLakecomplexeastofYellowknifeisbeingrunbyanIncidentMan-agementTeamIMTfromNewBrunswickwithamixedbagofcrewsthataremakinggoodprog-ressthoughchallengedbyveryhotconditionsandwindseveryday.Thereisfueledbyoldgrowthconiferousforest.Therearemultiplecabinsandhomesintheregionbyfarthegreatestconcen-trationofVARswehavetodealwith.CurriesaidtheWhatifirecomplexisbeingmanagedbyamixofOntarioandNWTteams.CommunityprotectionistheprimarygoaltherewithseveralTlichotownspotentiallyatrisk.Catguardsarebeingcreatedconnectingtonaturalbarrierslikelakesandrivers.CrewstherearechallengedwithverydryconditionswindsandpoorvisibilityfromsmokeCurriesaid.TheBirchCreekrecom-plexbetweenFortProvi-denceandBehchokocon-tinuestoburnactivelyalongHighway3closingitinter-mittentlyandblockingroadaccesstoandfromYellow-knifeandtheTlichoregion.WidecatguardsarebeingputinplacetoprepareforcontrolledburnsthatwillofferprotectiontonearbyFortProvidenceshouldwindsturnthereinthatdirection.ThatrecomplexisbeingactionedbyNWTIMTcrews.TheKakisarecomplexistheonlyonethatisclosetobeingundercontrol.ResidentsfromKakisare-turnedhomeoveraweekagotondredevastationallaroundthecommunitybuteverythingtherewassaved.ThereisnothreattothecommunityatthistimeCurriesaid.Fivenewrescontinuetostarteachdayinthesouth-ernNWTallofthembylightning.TwonewonesarebeingmonitorednearJeanMarieRiverandarenothreattothecommunityatthistimeaccordingtoCurrie.TwomorefiresstartedupalongHighway3overtheweekendtotheeastoftheBirchLakecomplexclosertoBehchoko.Theseareaddingmoresmoketoalreadypoorvisibilityfordriversbutarenotthreat-eningthehighwayatthistime.OddlythesmokethatiscoveringthesouthernNWTisactuallyhelpingthefiresituationsome-what.Therelativehu-midityisalreadyverylowandsomeareashavebeenreceivingnorain.Thesmokeisblockingthesunsomewhatpre-ventingthingsfromdry-ingoutevenmore.ThetemperatureforecastforthisweekcallsforrainfortheDehchoandSahturegionslaterintheweekwhilethenorthernhalfoftheNWTwillenjoysea-sonalnormsandlittlethreatoffires.TheSouthandNorthSlavewillcontinuetosuf-fersevereconditionswithlittlerainhotdaysanddrylightning.Lateintheweekthepos-sibilityofhowlingeast-erlywindsareforecastandifthatmaterializescouldworsentheWhatiandReidLakefirecom-plexeseastandnorthofYellowknife.TheBirchCreekrecomplexragesnorthofFortProvidenceandhasbeenclosingHighway3intermittentlythroughoutthelastweekdependingonwinddirection.Therearecurrentlyover190activeresburningintheNWT.PhotoKellyPennycookENR