As this year’s wildfire season comes to a close in the Northwest Territories, final tallies reveal that there were less fires in 2018 than on average. As of Aug. 22, there were 54 fires with a total of 11,271 hectares burned, according to a news release from the territorial government. That’s compared to a 25-year average of 172 fires with 402,976 hectares burned. Due to the low level of fire danger, the release says fire crews and resources from the territory also helped respond to wildfires in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Ontario this season. Meanwhile, crews in the territory helped ensure the future protection of communities through the FireSmart project, like brush clearing, maintenance on fire breaks and creating temporary helipads.