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Canada wildfires: Yellowknife residents flee as fires loom

Friday, 18 August 2023 2:44 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 18 August 2023 2:44 AM ]

This screengrab shows vehicles driving on the freeway as people evacuate from Yellowkife, Northwest Territories, Canada, on August 16, 2023. (AFP photo)

Canadian fire crews battled to prevent wildfires from reaching the northern city of Yellowknife, where all 20,000 residents are leaving by car and plane after authorities declared an evacuation order.

On Thursday, hundreds of people lined up outside the Sir John Franklin High School, one of the evacuation centers in Yellowknife, to register for flights out of the city.

The Canadian Armed Forces are assisting with the airlift operation, using Hercules aircraft to transport evacuees to safer locations.

Water bombers flew low over Yellowknife as thick smoke blanketed the capital of the vast and sparsely populated Northwest Territories. Officials say the fire, which is moving slowly, is now 15 km (10 miles) northwest of the city and could reach the outskirts by Saturday if there is no rain.

This is Canada's worst-ever wildfire season, with more than 1,000 active fires burning across the country, including 265 in the Northwest Territories. Experts say climate change has exacerbated the wildfire problem.

(Source: Reuters)

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