Wildfire blocks access to Fort Smith

[five_alarm]

YELLOWKNIFE, NWT - a stretch of the highway to Fort Smith is closed because of forest fires. Highway 5 from the Sandy Lake turnoff at kilometre 88 to Salt Mountain at kilometre 238 will be shut from noon to midnight. The half-day closures are expected to last for the next five to seven days. Mike Keizer, the communications manager for Wood Buffalo National Park, says the situation is under control. "We're doing fire operations right off the road during that period," he says. "We'll have heavy smoke and we'll have crews, we'll have large equipment and so it's just not safe to be putting people through there, for our crews or for the people." Keizer says the closest fire to the Sandy Point subdivision is 24 kilometres away. He says no one is in danger. Once the highway is re-opened, vehicles will be escorted through the area as required. The Department of Highways is asking that drivers watch for people and equipment working between kilometres 40 and 50. Visibility is reduced in various areas due to smoke.

Source: north.cbc.ca (http://www.firehall.com/refer.php?url=http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=0715smith_fireJuly152004&linkid=769&parent=news(headlines)&)