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8TuesdayAugust262014CommunityralliestohelpfamilyofteenwhodiedinFortResolutionhousefireByDALICARMICHAELThecommunityofFortResolutionhascometogethertosupportalocalfamilyafterahousereravagedtheirhomekillingateen-agedgirl.OntheafternoonofAug.15RhoniBeaulieu16wasfounddeceasedinherhomeafterthelocalredepartmenthadextinguishedtheamesofthehousere.WehaveruledtherewasaccidentalinnaturesaidNWTFireMarshalChuckerDewar.Weveconnedtheareaoforiginwhichisintheareaaroundthebarbecue.Asinvestigationsintotheincidentcontinuethecommunityhasstartedthemourningprocessfortheen-ergeticgirlwholostherlife.ShewasarealoutgoingpersonandshehadaheartforeverybodysaidRonaldBeaulieuRhonisgrandfa-therwhoraisedhersinceinfancy.ImreallydistraughtovertheincidentBeaulieusaid.Hedescribedthecloserela-tionshipthattheyshared.Weusedtogoouttomycampandspendaweekto-getherjustthetwoofusBeaulieusaid.Shewasget-tingreallystronginourcul-turetotheland.BeaulieusaidthatRhoniwasawellknownandfriendlyfaceinthecommunity.OtherpeoplewouldtellmeYouknowyourdaugh-terdidntreallyknowmebutshealwayswavedatmeandshealwayslookedhappyhesaid.RhoniwasworkingasasummerstudentforthelocalMtiscouncilatthetimeofherdeath.ShewouldhaveenteredGrade11thiscom-ingschoolyear.FamilyaidedbylocalcommunityWhilehispropertyisas-sessedfordamagesBeaulieuandhiswifehavebeenlivingwithhismother.MyhouseisprettywellnishedIlosteverythingintherehesaid.HewasinYel-lowknifeformedicalreasonsatthetimeofthereandonlyhasafewchangesofclotheshebroughtwithhim.Luckilymembersofthecommunityhaveralliedtogethertostartfundrais-inginitiativesforthefamily.DanaMcManusaformerFortResolutionresidentstartedanonlinefundraiserforthefamilythathasraisedalmost3000sinceitkickedoffearlylastweek.Idecidedtoholdthefun-draiserbecauseImclosetothecommunityIusedtolivethereIknowthefamilyandbecauseIhavealargenet-workofpeopleandIcangivealotMcManussaid.ThelocalNorthernStorehasalsobeencollectingdona-tionsfromthecommunity.Sofartheyhaveamassedalmost5000whichtheNorthwestCompanyhasdecidedtomatch.Peopleintheneighbour-ingcommunityofFortSmithhavealsocontributeddona-tionsofmoneyandhouseholdgoodstothefamily.Beaulieusaidthattheout-pouringofgenerosityhasbeenamazing.ImverythankfulforthesupportIamgettingandthecommunityhesaid.ItsmorethanIeverthought.IguessshestouchedmorepeoplethanIrealizedmyself.ImportanttobepreparedAccordingtoBeaulieuthehouserewasafreakaccidentthatstartedastheresultofaleakyvalveinabarbecuekeptoutsidehisresi-dence.Somehowthepropanecaughtrecreatingablow-torcheffectspewingamesintothescreened-inverandaattachedtothehouse.IdontknowhowmanytimesNWTreghtersorfiredepartmentshavere-spondedtobarbecuereswherethebarbecueisplacedtooclosetothesidingoftheresidenceDewarsaid.IvebeenanNWTreghterforaverylongtimeandIveseenitnumeroustimes.Dewarrecommendskeep-ingbarbecuesawayfromanycombustibleobjectsandcheckinganyvalvesforleak-ingpropane.Theyaddanadditivetopropanethatsmellscalledmer-captansoifyousmellarotten-eggsmellthatmeansyoucouldpotentiallyhavealeakthereDewarsaid.Thewaytotestthatistotakealittlebitofwaterandsoapmixthesoapintothewatersoitbubblesupandthenpaintitonwithapaintbrushonallthegasttingsiftheresanyleakitllblowupabubble.Healsorecommendsthathouseholdsestablishanes-caperouteforeachleveloftheirresidencetoavoidtrag-ediesliketherecentoneinFortResolution.Everyoneshouldhaveawayoutofthehouseorawaytoalertsomebodyoutsideyourneighboursortheredepart-menttowhereyouarelocatedandthatyouretrappedsotheycanhelpgetyououtofthatsitu-ationhesaid.AwakewasheldforRhoniovertheweekendfollowedbyafuneralonMondayafternoon.Tomakeanonlinedona-tiontotheBeaulieaufamilyheadtohttpwww.gofundme.comd9tidoFireghtersfatiguedbutstillghtingintheNWTDroughtconditionscouldextendseasonintoOctoberofcialsByDONJAQUEWhenthenalcountisdonewithover3.3millionhectaresburnedthecostandtheamountofpeopleinvolvedthisreseasonisgoingtobeonefortherecordbooksNWTEnvironmentandNatu-ralResourcesENRMinis-terMichaelMiltenbergertoldTheJournallastThursday.Thankgoodnessforagree-mentswithotherjurisdictionshenotedaboutthereghtingresourcesexchangeprogram.Weneededthem.Wedrewdowneveryoneavailable.JustthatmorningMilten-bergerhadpersonallysaidgoodbyeandthankedtwotiredcrewsfromOntariothatwereheadinghomefromtheYellowknifeairport.Twounfortunateinci-dentsmarkedthesummercampaigntheministersaidtheresidencelostattheHoar-frostRiverearlierinthesum-merandtheburningoftheMorainePointLodgenearFortProvidencejustlastweek.Thelossofpropertywasunfortunate.Wetriedourbesttoprotecteverythinghesaid.StillitisnoteworthythatnothinghorrendoushappenedandtherehasbeennolossoflifeinsuchalargecampaignMiltenbergersaid.InhisviewthereghtersandENRstaffhadperformedabsolutelyadmirably.Therewererealchallenges.Manyofthemputtheirlivesinharmsway.Theydeserveatonofcredit.LessonstobelearnedMiltenbergersaidtherearelessonstobelearnedfromthisreseasonthatwillbediscussedduringthewinter.Firebehaviourhaschanged.Thedroughtcodesareoffthecharts.Windsarehighlyun-usual.Therearetensofthou-sandsoflightningstrikes.Firescanmoveatarapidpace.Itsallnewterritoryrelatedtocli-matechange.Hopefullythatisnotgoingtobethenewnormbutwehavetolearnfromit.HesaidKakisaasacom-munitywasre-smartedanditservedthemwellwhentheywerethreatenedbyamassivewildfire.ThoughconcernswereexpressedbysomeYel-lowkniferesidentsthattheywerevulnerablewiththeirbacktothewaterandopenspaceslikeairportsandgolfcoursestopro-tectthemtheriskfromresisnotparticularlyhighthere.HesaidcommunitieslikeFortSimpsonandFortSmiththatarerightinthemiddleofforestsdohavesomethingtoworryaboutandthatmoreprecautionarymeasuresneedtobetakenthere.Beingproactiveandpre-ventativewillbeimportanthesaid.Fires50millionoverbudgetThetotalcostofreght-ingfortheseasonsofaris55millionandrisingthatfromabudgetof7million.Therewere330activereghtingpersonnelbutwithcoolertemperaturesthatnumberisexpectedtobereducedsome-whatbytheendofthisweek.PersonnelandresourceshavebeenloanedbyNewBruns-wickNovaScotiaOntarioManitobaBritishColumbiaYukonandAlaska.Thereisstillsignicantfiredanger.Wearechal-lengedbyfatiguebutwewillremainvigilantsaidFrankLepineassociatedirectorofforestmanagementforENR.Wearenallystartingtogettheupperhandonsomeofthecriticalrecomplexes.Therehavebeen384ressofarintheNWTandwith307stillburninganddroughtcodeshighreconditionsarestillcriticalinsomeareasintheNorthandSouthSlaveinaseasonthatstillpromisestobelonganddrawnout-areseasonthatcouldextendintoOctober.Lepinesaidthebiglessonlearnedinthisunusuallyharshseasonishavingtopaycloserattentiontowindevents.Everyrewehavehadtroublewithhasbeenare-sultofwindsfromtheupperatmospherecausinglowleveljetshesaid.Lepinealsoacknowl-edgedthetwomajorlossesofpropertyandsaidtherehavealsobeencabinslostonwhichtheyarestillreceivinginformation.Wearereallyfortunatewehavenothadanyaircraftac-cidentsorpersonnelinjuryhesaid.Knockonwood.AnemergencyreghtertrainstojointheNWTranksearlierthismonthinFortSmith.PhotoMeaganWohlbergNorthernersFamiliesEnvironmentWildresFacebookphotoRhoniBeaulieu16perishedinahouseretwoFridaysagoinFortResolution.