The southeast flank of the Fort Simpson wildfire, designated as FS016 by the government of the Northwest Territories, is seen in a Sunday, June 28, 2026, handout photo published to social media. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - NWT Fire (Mandatory Credit)
The southeast flank of the Fort Simpson wildfire, designated as FS016 by the government of the Northwest Territories, is seen in a Sunday, June 28, 2026, handout photo published to social media. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - NWT Fire (Mandatory Credit)
FORT SIMPSON - Remaining residents of an island community in the Northwest Territories, evacuated due to wildfire, have been told to shelter in place.
The territorial government says on social media that the out-of-control fire is presenting an "immediate threat" to the village of Fort Simpson.
Residents and emergency personnel still in the community have been asked to shelter at the local recreation centre.
An evacuation order was issued Sunday for the village of 1,300 people, as the fire burned about seven kilometres away.
Most residents have been staying at a gymnasium-turned-evacuation-centre in Yellowknife, nearly 700 kilometres east of Fort Simpson.
Village councillor Joshua Campbell says it was a long and emotional journey, as his family waited nearly three hours to get on a ferry to flee to the territory's capital.
"Everybody seems really tired," he said Monday.
"My wife, our six-month-old baby and our two teenage sons were kind of in a convoy," he said about the drive out. "Some people were camping at pullouts along the way."
Campbell said he remembers seeing a lot of smoke just before he left.
Some elders have noted that cots are uncomfortable at the centre, Campbell added, but the community has been welcoming.
He said he and many other evacuees are thinking about the three people who died last week. They were on a plane helping fight separate wildfires in the territory, and it crashed 50 kilometres from the village.
"It's just been emotional," Campbell said.
Forrest Tower, a wildfire information officer, said Monday the wildfire affecting Fort Simpson had grown and that billowing smoke was making it harder to put it out.
"We won't have an accurate perimeter likely even today, just with how smoky it is. But definitely you can say there's growth," Tower said.
Fort Simpson is one of five communities in N.W.T.'s Dehcho region.
On Monday morning, a second community in the area was also ordered out due to a wildfire.
The territory said in a social media post that residents of Wrigley needed to leave and report to a nearby band office.
This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published June 29, 2026.
