Residents in one of the largest cities in Canada’s far north face a race against time to evacuate amid warnings wildfires could reach it by the weekend.
Air evacuations are to begin Thursday for some people in affected areas of Yellowknife, a city of 20,000 people, who are being told to leave as soon as possible.
Other residents in the area have until noon on Friday to leave, said the Northwest Territories state government. Only those who don’t have the option of leaving by road should register for the flights out, officials said.
As of late Wednesday, the wildfires were within 11 miles of the city amid warnings it could reach Yellowknife by the weekend without rain.
“I want to be clear that the city is not in immediate danger and there’s a safe window for residents to leave the city by road and by air," Shane Thompson, a government minister for the Territories, told a news conference.
“Without rain, it is possible it will reach the city outskirts by the weekend.”
If smoke limits visibility, those leaving Yellowknife by highway will be escorted through the active fire zone, he said.
More than 200 wildfires have already burned a widespread area of the Northwest Territories and there were 1,067 active wildfires burning across Canada as of Wednesday.
Eight communities totaling nearly 6,800 people, or 15% of the Northwest Territories’ population, have already evacuated, Mike Westwick, the region’s fire information officer, said earlier Wednesday.
This includes the town of Hay River, a community of some 3,000 on Great Slave Lake, where residents were being evacuated by bus or plane on Wednesday night as the fire approached.
Many highways have been closed and the territory has had what officials called the largest airlift in its history.
Canadian Forces personnel are helping firefighters and have flown evacuees out on Hercules aircraft.
Canada has seen a record number of wildfires this year, with more than 8,108 miles burned.
