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Canadian fire crews are presently engaged in a battle to prevent wildfires from reaching the city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. With an evacuation order in place, all 20,000 residents are leaving the city by car and plane. Water bombers are flying low over Yellowknife as thick smoke fills the air. The slow-moving fire is currently 15 km (10 miles) northwest of the city and could reach the outskirts by Saturday if there is no rain. The territorial fire service issued a statement on Facebook, warning of tough days ahead due to northwest to west-northwest winds, which may push the fire towards Yellowknife.
Officials in British Columbia, which has been impacted by intense wildfires this year, have issued warnings to residents to prepare for extreme fire conditions. The province is expecting significant growth in the fires and is anticipating resource challenges from north to south.
In Yellowknife, hundreds of people are waiting outside a local high school to be transported to the airport for evacuation flights to neighboring Alberta. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to convene a meeting of the Incident Response Group to discuss the fires.
This wildfire season is the worst on record in Canada, with over 1,000 active fires burning across the country, including 265 in the Northwest Territories. Climate change has been identified as a contributing factor to the increase in wildfires. Drought and abnormally dry conditions have exacerbated the situation.
Shane Thompson, the territorial environment minister, explained that the evacuation order was issued to allow enough time for people to leave before the weather worsens. Approximately 65% of the territories’ population will be evacuated.
The Northwest Territories have limited infrastructure, with only one two-lane road leading out of Yellowknife towards Alberta. Alberta has established three official evacuee reception centers for residents leaving by road.
Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty mentioned that special teams are working to clear-cut trees and prevent the spread of flames near the city. They are also planning to use fire retardant and ensure sprinkler systems are functioning properly.
To address concerns about soaring prices, Canada’s two largest airlines have added flights from Yellowknife and capped fares. Some evacuees will be flown to Calgary, where the city has expressed its readiness to provide accommodation and assistance.
The fire that had been threatening Hay River, another community in the Northwest Territories, has stalled overnight according to the Northwest Territories fire service.
So far, over 134,000 square km (52,000 square miles) of land have been scorched in Canada, more than six times the 10-year average. The wildfires have also impacted industrial and energy production, with the Gahcho Kue diamond mine in northeast Yellowknife still in operation despite the evacuation of employees from nearby communities.
This is not the first time Canada has faced devastating wildfires. In 2016, a massive fire destroyed 10% of structures in the Alberta city of Fort McMurray and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. The village of Lytton in British Columbia also experienced a devastating fire in June 2021.
Since 2009, Canada has been allocating more funds to fighting wildfires than maintaining its firefighting personnel and program.
In addition to fire updates, Reuters covers Canadian political, economic, and general news, as well as breaking news across North America.
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