Alberta fire crews challenged fighting Reid Lake wildfire

As a 320-thousand hectare wildfire near Reid Lake, Northwest Territories continues to burn, 39 firefighters from Alberta are getting an up-close look at the territory,for better and forworse.

Jordan Sykes is afirefighter with the Peace River Unit crew, andhas been fighting fires for fivesummers all over Alberta. Syke's 20-man creware halfway through their14-day shift, and aresituated on the perimeter of the fire,making sure it doesn'tmove west ornorth on the control lines.

During his shift in the North,Sykes says he's been working inconditionshe's never experienced before.

"We don't have the Canadian Shield in Alberta," he says. "So we don't have all the rockyterrain.

"It's a little easier walking,the trees are a little more thinned out, but it's hilly terrainand it's really hot on the rocks all day."

According to Sykes, the conditions in the Northwest Territoriesaresome of the driest he's seen.

"It's really the drought where you see the fire behaviour change when its like this," he says."The fire burnsreally deep, and it holds for a very long time in the ground, so areas that have burned a week agoare still burning today, and they are just moving deeper and deeper in the ground.

"It's actually the deepest I've ever seen fires burn. I'm quite amazed."

Firefighters take advantage of campground command centre

The Reid Lake campground is currently the incident command centre for crews battling the wildfire. Firefighters have been camped out on sitefor a week, and will continue to work from the campground until the situationimproves.

After a long 12-hourshift, it's a common site to see the visiting firefightersswimming in Reid Lake andlounging in hammocks at the campsite.

"It's been nice to be up here with lots of lakes everywhere and lots of sun late into the evenings," says Sykes."We get to spend some time at the water and just go for a swim, go fishing a little bit, see whatit's like up in the Northwest Territories. That's actually been a great way to relax and pass timeafter work."

Over 100 crews and personnel from the Northwest Territories continue to try andcontain the fire, includingan IncidentManagement Team, 17 fire crews, values-at-risk protection unit, air support fromtankers, and seven helicopters.