Scramble to flee Yellowknife wildfires

Sunday, 18 Aug, 2023 0

Thousands of Canadians are scrambling to evacuate Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories as over 200 wildfires burn across the region.

They have been given a noon deadline today, but limited air capacity and clogged roads have meant hours waiting to leave the affected areas.

Yellowknife has a population of about 20,000.

About 1,000 were flown out on Thursday with seat capacity for another 2,000 on Friday.

Fire crews are battling 236 active wildfires across the region.

“We’re all tired of the word unprecedented, yet there is no other way to describe this situation,” NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane said.

Roads out have become dangerous with heavy congestion and low visibility due to smoke.

Federal officials are scheduled to give an update after the noon deadline, Friday.

The Canadian military was drafted in to help contain fires and assist with evacuation efforts.

As of early Friday, fires were about 10 miles from Yellowknife.

The City of Yellowknife is a major draw for tourists to view the aurora and partake in adventure tourism.

About 1,200 miles south, the city of Kelowna, BC is under an evacuation order for about 5,000 households to vacate their properties.

Some homes have been damaged in West Kelowna.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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