'Like a bonfire waiting to be lit': Yellowknifer says city not doing enough FireSmarting

A walk along Yellowknife's Frame Lake Trail reveals multiple patches of dead, dry brush — some piled in shapes resembling a literal bonfire.

Walt Humphries says most people don't even notice it … this reporter certainly didn't, even after years of using the trail.

Fire preparedness is being talked about more than ever as wildfires continue to rage in the Northwest Territories and Canada alike. Humphries says the last destructive wildfire in the Yellowknife area occurred 75 years ago, giving the bush ample time to create fuel in the form of dead wood.

That old, dead, dry bush is a ticking time bomb, he says.

"The amount of deadwood in the bush  wasn't here 40 or 50 years ago, so the problem is getting worse and we aren't maintaining it or staying on top of it."

To add more fuel to the (potential) fire, patches of discarded cigarette butts sit precariously close to these problem areas; Humphries demonstrated how most of the cigarettes were discarded while lit.

"If you see a cigarette that's burnt down to the filter, it was thrown down burning. Most people don't smoke a cigarette to the filter, so these were likely thrown down live."

Like the rest of Canada, the Northwest Territories has embraced FireSmart, a national program that helps Canadians increase neighborhood resilience to wildfire and minimize its negative impacts.

Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty says recent funding from the federal government will see communities across the N.W.T. increase their FireSmart disciplines within an eight-year period.

She says funding, when organized, will go towards disciplines such as education, development considerations, and emergency planning. However, these projects are not expected to roll out until next year.

CBC News previously reported Yellowknife's emergency planning concerning wildfires remains vague.

Mayor Alty says Yellowknife is better equipped to fight fires as compared to out-of-town locations, expressing particular concern for cabin owners.

"When you get outside the city boundaries that's where the response to address a fire can be slower, meaning the fire could spread faster" she said.

Concerning the deadwood, Alty says the city is taking care of it.

Walt Humphries says it's not just Frame Lake Trail, he's observed problematic brush near Niven Lake and around the Legislature.

He hopes more exposure can fix a possible disconnect between what city hall is doing, and residents are seeing.

Mayor Alty encourages residents to review FireSmart principles listed on their website.