'Risk has risen' in Fort Liard, N.W.T., after wildfire crosses river west of community

The latest as of 7 p.m.Friday:

• Evacuation notice put out for Fort Liard, telling residents to prepare in case they need to evacuate.
• N.W.T. Fire says firehas crossed Liard River, increasing risk to Fort Liard.
• High winds preventing firefighting aircraft from taking off.
• Highway 7 closed due to B.C. wildfires.
• Highway 35 in northern Albertaclosed due to fire near N.W.T. border.
• Highway 1 closed due to wildfire betweenJean Marie River access road and Highway 3 junction.
• For more information visit the N.W.T.public safety website.

A wildfire burning west of Fort Liard, N.W.T., jumped the Liard River on Friday evening, posing a greater threatto the community that's under an evacuation notice.

"Risk has risen to the community of Fort Liard," reads an update from fire officials, issued just before 6:30 p.m. MT.

Fire information officer Mike Westwick said the river was a natural fuel break that the fire has now breached.

"That puts it on the same side of the river as Fort Liard," he said, early Friday evening.

"It's classified as out of control, it is uncontained, it is growingand we are not able to suppress that growth directly at this time due to the safety conditions."

The fire had been burning to the west of Fort Liardand the Liard River earlier on Friday. Strong winds from the west through the day pushed the fire eastward, and across the river, Westwicksaid.

As of Friday evening, firefighters were unable to directly attack the fire because of unsafe conditions. Westwick said high winds and poor visibility meant that firefighting aircraft couldn't be used.

It wasalso hard to say how far the fire was from the community, he said.

"There's no road access, we can't fly. So we don't have an exact location," he said.

An evacuation noticewas issued earlier Fridayafternoon for Fort Liard as thewildfire was then burning about 22 kilometres away.

Westwick said fire crews are in Fort Liard, setting up sprinklers and focusing on "critical infrastructure" and protecting the perimeter of the community.

Fort Liard under evacuation notice

The evacuation notice posted earlier Friday on the N.W.T.'s public safety website said residents should keep vehicles fuelled and prepare an emergency kit.

"It's a notice to just be prepared," said John McKee, Fort Liard's SAO.

"You can't wait until the last minute."

McKee said a lot of people in the community have cleared brush from their properties, and the hamlet has done the same arounddifferent municipal buildings.

McKee said in the case of an evacuation order, the destination for residents would bedetermined by highway conditions.He said as of Friday, it wouldn't be inB.C. because of the closure or Highway 7.

Highway 35 was also closed late Friday afternoon, just south of the Alberta-N.W.T. border.

SeanWhelly, mayor of Fort Simpson, told CBCNews the community is listed as the evacuation centre in case FortLiardresidents are told to leave.

An evacuation notice is the first of three levels of emergency.The second would be an evacuation alert and the final is an evacuation order.

The hamlet of Fort Liard saidon its website that a fire ban was implementedon Thursday and it also posted a list of necessities in the case of an evacuation.

Highway 7 closed

Two separate active wildfires have closed Highway 7 at the N.W.T.-B.C. border, the territory's Department of Infrastructure said on Friday.

The department said residents and travellersshould know that conditions in the area can change with little to no warning, and that they should expect smokyconditions andpoor visibility in thearea.

Residents should also stay out of the bush in the areas surrounding Highway 7.

"High winds are expected to continue through this region. Under these conditions, there is a high chance of tree fall,which is a serious danger to those on the land," the update said.

An evacuation alert has also been issuedby the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality for the area stretching from southeastto the northwest ofFort Nelson, B.C.That'sdue tofires located nearNogah Creek and Patry Creek.

N.W.T.fire officials are also warning that highwinds and dry conditions could meanextreme fire activityin the South Slave and Dehchoregions. They said winds could gust from 50 to 85 km/h.

The Town ofHay River posted on Facebook that it was implementing a full-fire ban until after the wind event on Saturday.The town also saidthatthe fire department is responding to an underground fire on Patterson Road, but that it is contained to an area that's been previously burned.

"There is no risk to the public but smoke will be visible," the post reads.

New fire detected east ofSambaa K'e

A holdover fire has also flared up nearSambaa K'e, roughly one kilometre southeast of the community. It is not considered a threat to the community.Winds were expected to push it away from the community, N.W.T. Fire said in an update.

Storms are also in the forecast for numerous areas, including the northern Dehcho and southern Sahtu, increasing the likelihood of lightning-caused fires.

Winds are expected to come from the west around Hay River and Fort Smith, and from west to northwest around Fort Simpson.

The M.V.Laffertyferry at theLiardRiver crossing in Fort Simpson was brieflysuspended Friday due to high winds.

But JacquelineDemers, the regional superintendent for theDehchoregion with the Department of Infrastructure, said it reopened around 12:30.

The high winds areexpected to end Saturday in most areas, the post reads, with some higher moisture levels returning to the Hay River and Fort Smith areas.

"However, Dehcho is expected to stay very dry and hot with continuing brisk winds," anN.W.T.Fire Facebook post reads.