The capital of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, has to be evacuated because of the fierce wildfires in Canada. Local authorities called on the approximately 20,000 residents to leave the city on Friday. “The fire now poses a real threat to the city,” warned regional environment secretary Shane Thompson. The fire is still about 10 miles from Yellowknife.
Barring rain, the flames could reach the city’s outskirts by the weekend. There is a safe window for evacuation, Thompson said. There is no immediate danger yet.
Authorities provide buses and planes
The government made buses and planes available for residents without a car and for sick people. “Pilot vehicles” are also available to assist motorists on major roads safely through the clouds of smoke in low visibility conditions.
Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane called the situation “unprecedented”. “There’s no other way to describe it,” she said.
state of emergency declared
A state of emergency was declared in the region – a sparsely populated area in the northern Arctic Circle – to ensure faster assistance from the federal government.
Numerous forest fires have been raging in the region for some time. According to local authorities, there are currently 236 active fires. An area totaling about 21,000 square kilometers is affected – that’s more than the size of Lower Austria at about 19,200 square kilometers.
Source: Krone
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