An out-of-control wildfire continues to threaten Fort Smith, N.W.T., but officials assure community members that the frogs in the beloved frog ponds are “happily hopping about” despite extensive tree-thinning in the surrounding area. The frog ponds were surrounded by large, old jack pine and tightly packed black spruce that acted like a “fire wick,” pulling fires from the south into the dense forested areas of the community. Extensive thinning operations, as well as a dozer guard with sprinkler lines, were put in place by crews in order to mitigate that risk. “I want to assure everyone that this does not mean the low-lying wetlands of the frog ponds have been destroyed,” Fort Smith Protective Services said. “After a walk into the ponds this morning, I found many frogs happily hopping about in what little wet vegetation is left after a dry summer”