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RaincoolerweathereaserethreatinNorthSlaveEnvironmentWildre2TuesdayAugust52014NEWSBRIEFSBehchokoseadooerslocatedaftergettingcaughtinsmokeTwomenonseadooswererescuedbyBehchokoRCMPofcersaftersendingoutadistresscalltheeveningofAug.2.ThemenleftFranksChannelnearEdzoear-lierthatnightbeforehittingathickpatchofsmokefromnearbyforestresandbecomingdisoriented.Thetwosentoutadistresscalltotheirfamiliesbeforestop-pingatanislandnearOldFortRaewheretheywerestrandeduntilrescuedintheearlymorningofAug.3.CommunityagenciesincludingtheBehchokoredepartmentsearchandrescueandnaturalresourcesweredispatchedinadditiontoGdivisionemer-gencyplanningagenciesintheairandonthewater.FortMcMurraymanchargedfollowingfatalhitandrunAFortMcMurraymanhasbeenchargedwithnumer-ousoffensesfollowingafatalhitandruntheeveningofJuly26.GaetanHenriJosephCartier28waschargedwithfailingtostoporremainatthesceneofanaccidentinvolvinganinjuredpersondangerousoperationofamotorvehiclecausingbodilyharmandcriminalnegli-gencecausingbodilyharm.AwitnessplacedCartieratthesceneofthecrime.ThemanhehitwastransportedtoahospitalinEdmontonbeforesuccumbingtohisin-juriesthenamehasnotbeenreleasedasacourtesytothevictimsfamily.YellowknifeboatersrescuedfromsinkingshipLuckwasonthesideoffourpeoplewhoweresavedastheirboatsankinabodyofwateroutsideofYellow-knifeonJuly31.ThelocalCoastGuardAuxiliaryunitinitiatedarescuemissionfortheboatersafterreceivingadistresscallthataboatwascapsizingonalakenearYellowknife.Allfourpeoplewereneafterbeingpulledfromthemedium-sizedboatwhichsankshortlyaftertheirrescue.Atpublicationdateitwasnotclearwhatcausedtheboattosink.Informationregardingwheretheincidentoccurredhadalsonotyetbeenreleased.ByJACKDANYLCHUKAnyonewhowasinYel-lowknifelastWednesdaywillrememberthethunder-stormthatsweptacrossthecityandinaninstantturnedthelateafternoonskyfromsmokylightning-streakedHalloweenorangetomurkymidnightblack.ApocalypticwasthewordmanyusetodescribethesceneandstormthatbroughttherstraininweekstotheNorthSlaveslowingtheadvanceofforestresandllingdogdisheswithsoot-blackenedwater.SootandashpushedtheEnvironmentCanadaairqualityindexfarbeyondthescalethatstopsat10wherethehealthhazardisconsid-eredextreme.Theindexreachedbeyond25morethanonceinthepastweek.Highway3openedtotrafficlastThursdayandanevacuationwarningwasliftedforfamilieslivingbe-tweenYellowknifeandBe-hchokobuttheworstisnotoversaidJackBirdassis-tantdeputyministerofEn-vironmentandNaturalRe-sourcesENR.HeavysmokeovertheweekendagainforcedclosureofHighway3be-tweenBehchokoandFortProvidence.FirecrewsdrawnmostlyfromtheterritorysFirstNationcommunitiesaretiredBirdsaid.TheyhavebeenonthefirelinessincelateMayworking12-hourdaysandwanttoreturnhome.Freshrecruitswillstarttrainingnextweekandbereadyfordutybymid-August.AtpresentENRiscon-centratingeffortsonZF-85a10000-hectarereburning30kmwestofYellowknife.Morethan100peopleareonthegroundsupportedbyfourhelicoptersand10air-craftdroppingwaterandreretardantBirdsaid.SmokewassoheavyovertheweekendthatreghtersassignedtoZF-85wereforcedtosuspendoperationsandtemporarilywithdraw.Thereisabout10kmnorthofHighway3andnotconsid-eredathreattothecapital.EffortstocontaintheBirchLakecomplexa650000-hectareblazebetweenBehchokoandFortProvidenceanda367000-hectarecomplexnorthofYellowknifeatReidLakehavebeensuccessfulBirdsaid.EnvironemntWildreRoom239ConfederationBuildingHouseofCommonsOttawaONK1A0A6TollFree1-866-992-4587Phone613992-4587Fax613992-15865014-50thAve.P.O.Box1986YellowknifeNTX1A2P5Tollfree1-800-661-0802Phone867873-6995Fax867920-4233www.dennisbevington.caCONGRATULATIONStotheorganizersparticipantsandspectatorswhomadethe2014SlaveRiverPaddlefestAGREATSUCCESSMoreNWTcommunitiesthreatenedExtremereconditionscontinueByDONJAQUEHayRiverandTroutLakehavebeenaddedtothegrowinglistofcom-munitiesinthesouthernhalfoftheNWTthathavebeenthreatenedbynearbywildresthisyear.Arethatcamewithin15kmofTroutLakeinthelastfewdaysisundercontrolasisonethatwasjust10kmsouthofHayRiver.Therethathasbeensitting38kmsouthofJeanMarieRiverisbeingsystematicallyac-tionedwhileanotherlargerejustacrosstheMacken-zieRiverisbeingwatchedcarefully.FortSmithoneoftherstcommunitiestobethreat-enedearlyinthe2014sea-sonjumpedbackontheen-dangeredlistlastweekwithare35kmtothewestthatemergedfromWoodBuf-faloNationalParkneartheLittleBuffalocampground.IthasclosedthehighwaytoSmithperiodicallyandthreatenedpowerlinesandthebre-opticinternetandphoneconnectiontothecommunity.NowasecondlargerrefurthernorthinWoodBuf-faloNationalParkisburningalongthehighwayclosingtheroadandendangeringthebre-opticconnectionagain.Pilotcarsaretakingconvoysthroughfromeitherdirectionwhensmokeclearsenoughtoallowvisibility.ThatrehasthepotentialtogrowfurthertothenorthputtingcabinsonSandyLakeatrisk.Abigconcernforreght-ersnowisthecontinueddry-nessofthelandintheSouthSlaveDehchoandNorthSlaveregions.TheregularweatherbriefingMondaymorningattheNWTFireCentretalkedofmorehightemperatureswithverylowhumidityreferredtoasadeepcrossoverbyMaxDupilkafromTrueNorthaweatherconsultantfromEdmonton.Eventhoughtemperaturesareforecasttosliptothelow20smid-weekthewordex-tremeisheardoverandoverintheforecastwhichpredictsthataggressiverecondi-tionswillremain.Therehavebeen338restodateandnearlythreemil-lionhectaresburnedintheNWTthissummer.Asrescontinuetojoinupintomas-sivecomplexesmanynewreshavethepotentialtocre-ateevenmoreproblemsinallregionsofthesouthernNWT.Asifthingswerentchal-lengingenoughanewweatherpatternispredictedtocutacrossthesouthernNWTatananglethatwillcausedra-maticwindshiftsallalongHwy3toYellowknifewithstronggustingnortheasterlywindsonthenorthsideandsoutherlywindsintheSouthSlavethatwillfanandmobi-lizemanyoftheres.AlongwithwindtherewillbestormsthathavelittleifanyprecipitationandmaybenothingbutlightningDu-pilkasaid.Itisasextremeaswehaveseenitthroughoutthesum-merhesaid.PhotocourtesyofENRGNWTSeveralresburningaroundJeanMarieRiverintheDehchocausedthecommunitytovoluntarilyevacuatelastweek.Thatreisbeingwatchedcarefully.