Heavy smoke from nearby wildfires fills the sky in Yellowknife on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Angela Gzowski
YELLOWKNIFE – Some 20,000 residents in the capital of the Northwest Territories have been ordered to leave by Friday as the wildfire danger intensifies.
The evacuation order issued Wednesday night applies to the city of Yellowknife and neighbouring First Nations communities of Ndilo and Dettah.
The N.W.T. government said residents living along Ingraham Trail and in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and the Engle Business District are at highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible.
It said other residents have until noon Friday to leave.
“It is safe for residents who have a vehicle and are able to drive to start evacuating now,” said the order. “If there are smoky conditions, residents evacuating by highway will be escorted from Yellowknife through the active fire zone.”
Evacuation flights are available, but the government said only those who don’t have the option of leaving by road should register. People who are immunocompromised or have a condition that puts them at higher risk are encouraged to register for flights.
Air evacuations are set to begin Thursday afternoon.
An evacuation centre has been set up at the Yellowknife Multiplex for evacuees from Dettah and the Ingraham Trail. There are also facilities in the city available for residents who wish to stay, but the government said they are temporary.
It added that evacuation by boat to an island or cabin is not recommended because air quality is expected to decline.
Earlier in the day, the government said a fire had advanced slightly overnight and was within 16 kilometres of Yellowknife. Residents in three neighbourhoods were told to be ready to leave with short notice.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 16, 2023.
– By Curtis Ng in Edmonton
