Approximately 20,000 residents are currently being evacuated from Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories, due to the looming threat of massive wildfires that pose risks to both lives and property. In response, Canadian firefighting crews are striving to prevent these wildfires from reaching the city, while residents are being transported out of the area by both cars and airplanes.
The evacuation was prompted by a formal order issued as the city became engulfed in thick smoke, creating hazardous conditions. The wildfires, moving at a slow pace, are currently situated about 15 km (10 miles) northwest of Yellowknife. There’s a concern that if there’s no rainfall, the fires might reach the outskirts of the city by Saturday.
The territorial fire service, communicating through a Facebook statement, warned of challenging days ahead, particularly due to the projected northwest to west-northwest winds on Friday and Saturday, which could drive the fire closer to Yellowknife.
British Columbia, a Pacific province that has already experienced unusually intense wildfires this year, is bracing for severe fire conditions. Officials in the province urged residents to be prepared for extreme fire risks. Cliff Chapman, the wildfire service director, indicated that the upcoming weather conditions could be the most trying in terms of fire containment during the entire summer, predicting substantial fire growth and strain on resources.
In Yellowknife, crowds gathered outside a local high school as they awaited evacuation flights scheduled for Thursday, which would transport them to the neighboring province of Alberta. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a meeting of the Incident Response Group to address the fire crisis, involving senior officials and ministers. Defence Minister Bill Blair reassured the public that the federal government is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to rapidly airlift residents if land routes become inaccessible.
The ongoing wildfire season in Canada is being described as the worst on record, with over 1,000 active fires burning across the nation, including 265 in the Northwest Territories alone. Experts attribute the severity of the wildfire problem to the exacerbating effects of climate change.
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