Numpy specifically doesn't require Fortran. (That was the reason for the original separation of numpy and scipy.)
Numpy will compile f2py (to allow running fortran code in python) and I think it uses the Fortran lapack bindings in some cases if a Fortran compiler is present. However, both of those are optional. Numpy deliberately avoids requiring Fortran in any way.
Scipy, however, uses quite a bit of Fortran in addition to C and requires a Fortran compiler to build.
At any rate, as you noted, it's hardly dead. Modern Fortran is a domain-specific language, for the most part, but it's quite popular within that domain (scientific computing and HPC).
Numpy will compile f2py (to allow running fortran code in python) and I think it uses the Fortran lapack bindings in some cases if a Fortran compiler is present. However, both of those are optional. Numpy deliberately avoids requiring Fortran in any way.
Scipy, however, uses quite a bit of Fortran in addition to C and requires a Fortran compiler to build.
At any rate, as you noted, it's hardly dead. Modern Fortran is a domain-specific language, for the most part, but it's quite popular within that domain (scientific computing and HPC).