The firefighters in the Northwest Territories are preparing for a long, difficult weekend as a storm is expected to hit the South region while wildfires continue to spiral out of control.

Reports from fire officials on Wednesday indicate that a few days of calm aerial activity have allowed crews to extinguish the fires in Hay River and Fort Smith, but conditions are expected to change.

A thunderstorm is expected Thursday afternoon in Hay River, which could lead to erratic winds and unpredictable fire behavior.

The series of bad weather conditions will continue to challenge firefighting efforts over the weekend, with "strong winds" expected on Friday.

Friday is likely to be a very difficult day for firefighting at Hay River – with hot, dry conditions and winds from the south and southwest... this could cause significant fire growth in the east.

The fire is located about 1.5 kilometers from downtown and one kilometer from the airport and West Point First Nation. "It breached" Paradise Gardens and Patterson Road south of Hay River earlier this month.

Over the past few days, smoke has helped the crews by shading the ground from the sun, maintaining moisture within it. However, there are "uncertain predictions" in the future.

One update states, "With the likelihood of smoke dissipating by Thursday afternoon, and with humidity levels dropping, there could be a rise in temperatures and greater fire activity," and the size of the fire is about 4,173 kilometers.

Winds are threatening Fort Smith as gusts are expected to impact crews in the Fort Smith area trying to extinguish a fire, while thick smoke in the area assists the crews there.

These smoky conditions are expected to continue for another two days; however, smoke is expected to intensify on Friday, accompanied by strong gusty winds and warm temperatures.

Concerning the Wednesday update on wildfires in Alberta, "If these conditions develop, fire specialists expect extreme fire behavior," and the fire is located about 3.4 kilometers from the town of Fort Smith and 3.1 kilometers from Fort Fitzgerald in Alta.

Crews have successfully contained the fires over the past week, but the storms this weekend could threaten those gains. Conditions that could significantly increase the size of wildfires still exist and are possible.

A military spokesperson stated that support from the Canadian Armed Forces in the Northwest Territories is scheduled to end on September 5 "pending further reassessment."

The military agreed to extend a request for assistance on August 25, which will see individuals remain on the ground until September 5. However, anything beyond that is likely to depend on another extension.

As of Wednesday, about 300 personnel are supporting firefighting efforts in the northwest of the country under Operation Lyntus. The ground task force is assisting the communities of Yellowknife and Hay River by building firebreaks and helping to protect vital infrastructure.

The wildfires near Hay River continue to threaten the city while crews work to control the fire near Yellowknife.

Government officials this week laid out a plan for residents of Yellowknife to return, although they did not provide a timeline for when people can go back to their homes.

The city is in the third phase of the plan, calling essential workers back to establish critical services. The Government of the Northwest Territories stated on Wednesday in a Facebook post that the plan has been temporarily halted until further notice due to strong winds and dry conditions this weekend.

This comes as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued a statement on Wednesday warning officials that a group of 50 vehicles plans to go to Yellowknife before the evacuation order is lifted.

Cpl. Matt Halstead of the RCMP wrote that they "will not stop at checkpoints."