Thousands of people have been ordered to flee wildfires that are rapidly advancing on Yellowknife, one of the largest cities in Canada’s far north. The evacuation began on Thursday, with many residents boarding emergency evacuation flights and others joining long convoys to escape via the only open highway.
The order to evacuate Yellowknife, located in the Northwest Territories, came after a summer of devastating wildfires in Canada that have forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes and caused extensive damage to the land. As of Thursday, over 1,000 wildfires were burning across Canada, including about 230 in the Northwest Territories. More than 20,000 residents of Yellowknife have been given until Friday noon to leave the city. The situation is described as “unprecedented” by regional premier Caroline Cochrane. The flames are reaching the edges of highways, creating limited visibility due to thick smoke.
Crews are working to erect fire barriers and water bombers are assisting in the firefighting efforts. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has interrupted his summer vacation to address the situation and send military aircraft and soldiers to help combat the wildfires. The evacuation of Yellowknife is the second time a Canadian city has been cleared due to wildfires, following the evacuation of Fort McMurray in 2016.
This year’s fires in Canada have spread with remarkable intensity, scorching millions of hectares of land and resulting in several deaths. Scientists warn that human-caused global warming is exacerbating these natural disasters.
