Residents from Sambaa K'e, Wekwet, N.W.T., go home after wildfire scare

After a month away from home, Sambaa K'e residents in the N.W.T. returned home over the weekend.

"It's very nice to be back in your home and knowing that our home is safe," said Violet Jumbo.

For the past month, Jumbo has been staying in students' residences in Fort Simpson, N.W.T. She also spent her time checking in on elders from the community, ensuring they still kept taking their medication and going to appointments.

When news first came of the evacuation, Jumbo said it was "overwhelming."

"It's like, you're going at fouro'clock. OK, it's like, what do I do? What do we have? How much luggage can we take?"

Jumbo said many residents spent most of their time on the land when at home.

"We'd try to go on little hiking trails and stuff like that, but it's not the same," she said.

She's also thankful for being back in her own space.

"We were in that one group for the residence where we were staying, staying there was about 18 of us all together in one big building," she said. "So you're with everybody, so you don't really get quiet."

She added that she was relieved to see much of the community intact; she was expecting a more drastic change.

The wildfire that threatened the community has now burned 450,800 hectares in the N.W.T. and northern British Columbia.

"We're very much still working this fire," said Mike Westwick, fire information officer with the territorial government.

So far, though, he said, "those ignition operations that were completed outside the community have removed a fair bit of fuel out there and we're glad that that's been successful in creating a buffer."

Wekwetresidents return

On Monday afternoon, N.W.T. Fire said the wildfire threateningWekwetis now considered under control "after significant efforts by the team on the ground."

Fred Behrens is the community's senior administrative officer.He said two planes are scheduled to bring about 50 residents back home from Yellowknife on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Last week, three fires sparked near Wekwet.Two are on the shores of Snare Lake with wetlands between them and the community, while the third is about two kilometres away between the community and the airport.

"Now that is pretty well extinguished as far as I understand," said Behrens. "It's now on the far end of the fire that's still burning. You can see some smoke, on quite a ways away from the community.

"I'm pretty confident that you know, once they make the decision to let everyone back that it's a safedecision for all."

Westwick said the nearest fire did not grow much over the weekend and has held the same distance. He added thatcrews built control lines around the community and installed sprinklers.

The fire was last measured at 73 hectares.

Sizeable fire near Tulita'not considered a threat'

Over the past two days, 12 new fires started across the territory.

One notable fire started near Tulita, which was mapped at about 760 hectares, 17 kilometres east of the community.

"Any growth on that fire has occurred away from the community at this point," said Westwick.

He added that it is not currently considered a threat because there is a large burn area from past years between the fire and the community.

"What that does is it acts as a natural protective barrier There's less fuel to work with there," he said.

Overall, according toN.W.T. Fire, there are 40 active fires in the territory.