Fire helicopter down in Northwest Territories

The CBC reported that a fire pilot with no passengers went down Friday in a Bell B212 near Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. Fire information officer Mike Westwick said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Transportation Board of Canada (TSB) are responding to the incident.

The Canadian Press reported Tuesday evening that Great Slave Helicopters (GSH) said pilot Tom Frith died while fighting 20,000-acre fire near the Fort Good Hope  community, about 800 km northwest of Yellowknife.

The company expressed condolences to Frith’s family. “He was a beacon of light,” GSH said. “He was beloved by all who had the privilege of knowing him. Our heartfelt condolences to Tom’s wife, children, parents, brothers and all extended family and friends in Yellowknife and in Australia.”

Fort Good Hope fire

The TSB said it will activate a an investigative team; Great Slave Helicopters (GSH), and CKLB Radio reported that there were no passengers besides Frith, the pilot in the helicopter. Fort Good Hope Chief Collin Pierrot related it was a very difficult weekend for the community.

It was about 2 p.m. Friday when the RCMP received  its first report of the accident, and before the end of the day the TSB was involved in the B212  investigation.

Pierrot said he got the news of a the helicopter crash while he was in a fire management meeting. The incident happened at the Fort Good Hope airport and involved only the Bell B212. The TSB investigators accessed the crash site on Sunday and are now collecting data and interviews.

Fort Good Hope has been under an evacuation order since June 15 as a fire burns at the edge of town.

WILDLAND FIRE CANADA: Conference registration now open

Registration is open for the 2024 Wildland Fire Canada Conference, a biennial conference scheduled for October 28 to November 1 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It will bring together wildland fire management agencies, indigenous fire experts, scientists, and collaborators from across Canada and other countries.

Wildland Fire Canada Conference

The theme of this year’s conference is Transforming Wildland Fire Management, i.e. taking a collective and inclusive approach to wildland fire management in which Canadians at all levels of government work together to co-exist with wildland fire — including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Registration rates (CAD):

Early registration (until 8/15) — $600
Registration (8/16 – 10/14) — $750
Late registration (10/14 – 10/28) — $800
Student registration — $250
One-day rate — $375
Virtual Registration — $300

Group registration available for virtual tickets:

            • $300/ticket for fewer than 5 tickets
            • $250/ticket for 6-10 tickets
            • $200/ticket for 11-20 tickets
            • $150/ticket for 20+ tickets

In-person registration: This includes access to all sessions and social activities. Registrants can access to the virtual conference platform to watch recorded presentations and network with remote attendees.

Virtual registration: This includes access to all sessions and online networking activities. Sessions will be recorded and made available for at least 6 months after the conference. You will receive access details about a week before the conference.

Join us in late October either in New Brunswick or online — or both — for this exciting collaboration with Canadian professionals and other international wildland fire experts!