Jean Marie River residents told to prepare in case of evacuation due to threatening wildfire
An evacuation alert, which is a warning to be prepared, was issued around 12:30 p.m. Monday
Jean Marie River First Nation in the N.W.T. warned residents to be prepared for the possibility of an evacuation as a wildfire burns 23 kilometres from the community.
In a Facebook post published around 12:30 p.m. on Monday, the community government wrote that an evacuation alert has been issued. An alert is the second on a three-tier system the territory uses for emergencies, and means residents should get their personal belongings prepared in case an evacuation is ordered.
The community's Chief Melanie Norwegian-Menacho confirmed with CBC News that the evacuation alert had been issued. She said this came from information shared by the territorial government.
Norwegian-Menacho said the community is not in immediate danger, but that the warning comes from a possible shift in the winds, which could push the fire toward the community.
N.W.T. Fire also confirmed the evacuation alert is in effect.
The threatening wildfire, known as FS014-25, was caused by lightning, according to the N.W.T. Fire map. It is 2,200 hectares in size and is burning out of control.
An update on the fire says the northeast corner of the fire is particularly active, and crews are working to contain it.
"Residents of Jean Marie may see smoke around the area coming from this fire," the update reads.