July 1, 2026 | 4:45 PM – Community Notice
Attention Residents of Fort Simpson
As the situation with FS 016 continues to evolve, we at Village Incident Command would like to reiterate: the danger from the fire is still very high. The densely wooded nature of the properties on the hill means that any fire that comes in has the danger to spread to the 100+ houses in the area and result in a catastrophic loss. Losing half of our residential structures would take years to recover from, if we ever could, and so must be avoided at all costs. There are hundreds of sprinklers and tens of thousands of feet of hose deployed on the hill, while nearly 100 firefighters continue to test and optimize the protection systems.
At this moment, there is still no timeline for a safe return. Those residents staying in temporary accommodation should look for something more substantial, as the situation could last much longer than anybody wants it to. Those with the means to travel should also explore opportunities to move to a larger center with more amenities. As soon as anything is known, it will be communicated to residents in a timely manner.
There will continue to be only limited services for those that remain. Water delivery and sewer pump out services to residential properties have been suspended, and the liquor store will remain closed until the evacuation order is lifted. Emergency first aid is currently the only medical care available. Fort Simpson is not functioning as a community at this time, so anyone still here should not expect any normal services to continue.
With that all said, we shall endure! Please continue to support each other and try to stay positive in this difficult time for us all.
Thank you, Mahsi Cho
VOFS Incident Command