Smoke, but no danger, as Dempster Highway wildfires burn near Fort McPherson, N.W.T.

Two fires along the Dempster Highway near Fort McPherson are causing smoky conditions, but N.W.T. Fire officials say there is no danger to property or the highway.

Both fires are burning north of the highway, and are 15 and 20 kilometres southwest of Fort McPherson.

Mackenzie Delta MLA George Nerysoo was in Fort McPherson Tuesday to see the conditions for himself. At the time, he said, the air was clear and all was well.

"There's no smoke in the community, the wind is blowing to the south," he said on Tuesday afternoon.

Nerysoo said he hadn't been to Midway Lake but heard it was smoky up there. He said there was no risk to cabins or property.

He said people in Fort McPherson were concerned about how big the fire is, but he was reassuring people that it isn't a risk.

In a Tuesday afternoon update, N.W.T. Fire said one of the fires, which has burned just over a square kilometre of land, is "highly visible" from the Dempster and is being monitored.

The second fire has burned about 12 square kilometres of land and smoke from it might hang around Fort McPherson and the Dempster.

N.W.T. Fire said two fire crews would be assessing that second fire after a few days of monitoring it, to decide how to attack it.

An 18-kilometre stretch of the Dempster Highway between Fort McPherson and Eagle Plains was closed on Monday until Tuesday morning due to a wildfire in the Yukon. The highway was reopened on Tuesday morning, but officials said it could close again.