NWT Fire reports 'serious incident' involving plane near Fort Simpson

NWT Fire reported a “serious incident” involving one of its bird-dog aircraft while it supported firefighting operations near Fort Simpson. The Northwest Territories wildfire agency said the incident involved its aircraft working in coordination with a larger air tanker group. In a brief statement issued just after 9pm on Wednesday, NWT Fire added that the Department of Environment and Climate Change is responding alongside the RCMP. At the time of the update, there was no information available about the status of the people aboard. A bird-dog aircraft typically serves as a lead plane that acts as a command and coordination hub during aerial wildfire response, flying ahead of tanker aircraft to assess fire behavior and guide attack strategies.