Couple Cares for Pets Left Behind During Fort Simpson, NWT Wildfire
More than 8,900 hectares have burned near Fort Simpson, and officials say smoke and grounded aircraft are slowing suppression efforts.
- On Sunday, officials issued evacuation orders for Fort Simpson and Wrigley as lightning-caused wildfires remained out of control. Most of the 1,300 Fort Simpson residents have relocated to Yellowknife, nearly 700 kilometres east.
- Lightning ignited the FS016-26 wildfire on June 26, quickly outpacing suppression efforts across the territory. More than 100 fires are currently burning in the Northwest Territories, with at least 98 classified as out of control due to hot, dry conditions.
- Volunteers Diedra Villeneuve and Derek McKillop remain in Fort Simpson to care for 51 pets left behind by evacuees. The pair spends upwards of 14 hours daily providing food and water to animals awaiting their owners' return.
- Fort Simpson Mayor Les Wright reported shifting winds helped protect the village, though smoke has hampered firefighting efforts. Fort Smith Mayor Dana Fergusson confirmed evacuees from Wrigley are receiving support, stating the arrival "went as smooth as it possibly could."
- Fire officials warn that smoke and limited visibility will persist in the coming days, requiring remaining residents to shelter-in-place. Authorities continue to monitor conditions, emphasizing the area remains unsafe until significant progress is made against the ongoing blazes.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Red Deer Advocate
Couple cares for pets left behind during Fort Simpson, NWT wildfire
While the residents of Fort Simpson, NWT have had to flee their homes because of the wildfire bearing down on the community, some of them won’t have to worry about the animals they were forced to leave behind. Diedra Villeneuve and her partner, Derek McKillop, have been spending upwards of 14 hours a day driving around the community feeding and providing water and cuddles to pets that had to stay in the community. “Everyone can be assured their …
These two people stayed behind to help feed Fort Simpson’s dogs
When Fort Simpson was evacuated because of a nearby wildfire, Diedra Villeneuve and Derek Mckillop stayed to feed the pets residents had to leave behind. The post These two people stayed behind to help feed Fort Simpson’s dogs first appeared on Cabin Radio.
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