One of Canada’s largest cities in the north has been ordered to evacuate after warnings that a wildfire could reach the weekend. Yellowknife’s 20,000 residents have been given until noon Friday to leave.
“Unfortunately the fire situation is taking a turn for the worse, with a blaze west of Yellowknife posing a real threat,” Northwest Territories Environment Secretary Shane Thompson said as he ordered an evacuation.
As of late Wednesday, the fire was within 17km of the town, while another blaze is threatening the Hay River community.
The Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency late Tuesday after battling more than 200 fires.
The fire moved 30 km in a few hours due to strong winds earlier this week, closing the only two highways outside the city.
The road from Hay River is “unsafe,” the mayor said, and food and gasoline supplies are running low in the city.
Telephone and internet services have also been disrupted in the remote region.
The Canadian military has coordinated airlift operations from several communities that have been threatened by the fires in recent days. It is the largest airlift evacuation effort in the territory’s history.
Most of the evacuees have been brought south to the neighboring province of Alberta, with no indication of when they will be able to return home.
