Two cabins south of Wrigley have been consumed by wildfire, according to territorial wildfire authorities.
On Tuesday afternoon, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) spokesperson Mike Westwick confirmed the loss of the two structures. One of these cabins belonged to the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation and most likely burned down more than a week ago. The other was likely razed sometime on the weekend.
Westick said the damage was only confirmed on Tuesday due to the presence of heavy smoke and ash in the area.
Both the owner of the second cabin and the Pedzeh Ki community were informed of the losses.
“We never want to see folks lose things in fires,” said Westwick. “We understand that these values are often important for social, cultural, and community wellness. That’s why our wildfire team works tirelessly to do whatever is possible to protect structures, while ensuring safety of responders and protection of communities season after season.”
Westwick said the department determined “with absolute certainty” that the damage was unrelated to controlled burns that were taking place nearby.
He said the department is exploring forms of compensation for the owners of the cabins to continue engaging in traditional hunting and trapping.
At the time of the update on Tuesday, fire crews had succeeded in holding the blaze at just under 22,000 hectares.
“Our team is continuing to work hard every day to bring this fire under control and continue to ensure the community of Wrigley has no cause for concern,” said Westwick.
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