N.W.T. Highway 3 fire threatens Internet, cellular service

A wildfire between Fort Providence andBehchokois threatening to disruptInternet and cellular service to Yellowknife, saysNorthwestel.

N.W.T.'s Highway 3 south of Yellowknife was closed on Tuesday to all private and commercial traffiic due to smoke from nearby forest fires.

The closure was at kilometre 140, between Fort Providence and Behchoko (also known as Rae-Edzo).

The Department of Transportation lifted the closure around 9p.m. Thursday, warning drivers to proceed with caution.

Northwestel says one of those fires is threatening telecommunicationsequipment in the area.

The company says its crews have prepared redundancy plans to reduce the impact of a fire-related cut.It says it has crews on standby to respond to a cut once it's safe to do so.

Del Miller, acting regional supervisor of highway operations for the North Slave region, said commercial vehicles that had backed up were escorted through the smoky area earlier Thursday so that necessary supplies, such as fuel for the Yellowknife airport, could get through.

The smoke from two large fires burning near Chan Lake and Birch Lake are causing reduced visibility along the highway.

Miller saidsmoke along the highway has visibility down to 200 metres at times.

Smoke is also affecting visibility on Highway 1between Enterprise and Kakisa, and conditions there could change at short notice.