More communities ordered to evacuate Yellowknife, wildfires expected to reach city in days

Another two communities in Yellowknife, N.W.T. were ordered by officials Thursday to evacuate as wildfires near the city's borders.

The order comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened a meeting of the Incident Response Group to discuss the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories, and days after a state of emergency was declared in the capital of Yellowknife.

The high-level panel of cabinet ministers and senior officials is the federal government's dedicated emergency committee that meets in the event of national crises or events that have major implications for the country.

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The group discussed the impacts of the 5,500 wildfires that have burned across Canada this year.

They were also briefed on the devastating situation in the N.W.T. where more than 21,000 square kilometres have burned, over 236 wildfires continue to burn as of Thursday night, and thousands of residents are being forced to leave their home.

Approximately 20,000 Yellowknife residents have been ordered to evacuate the city by Friday at noon.

The group also discussed ongoing safety issues related to public infrastructure, including roads and telecommunications affected by wildfires.

And the prime minister asked ministers to collaborate with partners in the telecommunication sector to “ensure that essential services remain available for Canadians impacted.”

Earlier this week, Trudeau spoke with Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane to discuss the territorial state of emergency and evacuation orders in place for Fort Smith, Enterprise, Jean Marie River, Hay River, K'atl'odeeche First Nation and the surrounding areas, as well as Yellowknife.

Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty spoke to CTV News Channel on Wednesday, warning residents to pack a bag and prepare to leave quickly.

"We know all residents are taking this seriously."

On Thursday, N.W.T. Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson explained the evacuation process by road or air for all residents fleeing the fires.

Those leaving by air are asked to arrive at Sir John Franklin High School in Yellowknife, he told CTV News Channel.

"We're telling people that if they need to fly to get to Sir John [4701 52 Ave., Yellowknife] by 10 [a.m.] and planes will be transporting people by this afternoon. From there, once we register people, we will then prioritize people that need to fly out and we will be sending them out on the aircrafts."

During a press conference on Thursday night, Yellowknife officials said around 10 planes left carrying 1,500 people. According to Jennifer Young, N.W.T. director of corporate affairs, 22 planes are scheduled to leave on Friday bringing an expected 1,800 people outside of the territory and additional flights may be arranged for Saturday depending on the need and weather permitting. The goal is to have around 5,000 people leave by air, Young said.

While it's unclear how many people have left the territory by road, those numbers are expected to be compiled Friday by the Alberta Government, officials said.

According to the N.W.T. government's website, only residents who do not have the option to evacuate by car are asked to register for flights. Also, residents with health concerns and a "higher risk of severe outcomes" are encouraged to register for an evacuation flight to avoid worsening air quality.

The office of the prime minister also stressed “there would be no tolerance for opportunistic price escalation, including airfare and essential goods for those impacted by the wildfires,” in light of rumours some Canadian airlines were hiking the price of flights out of the territory.

Thompson, who ordered a territorial state of emergency on Aug. 15, said he has been in contact with numerous residents driving through smoke on Highway 3.

"[Highway 3] is good right now, but expect to have some delays," he said, for people hoping to escape by road. "We do have pilot cars to get people through this difficult situation."

He added that there could be delays fuelling vehicles along Highway 3 and at the Big River Service Centre gas station in Fort Providence, N.W.T.

People without vehicles line up to register for a flight to Calgary, Alta., in Yellowknife on Aug. 17, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Braden)

The N.W.T. website warns residents who are driving to watch for "extremely poor visibility."

To help keep track of residents fleeing, the territorial government has issued an evacuee registration form. Individuals can complete the online form for themselves or a household.

As the fire continues to grow, officials said on Thursday night they fear it will reach city limits by the weekend.

Mike Westwick, fire information officer for Environment and Climate Change, said it rained around one millimetre of water Thursday.

“We're still facing a very serious situation but any amount of moisture in the air is helpful,” he said.

Chris Greencorn, with N.W.T.’s public works and engineering department, outlined the mitigation work to combat the ravaging fires.

Crews deployed heavy equipment to build a physical firebreak 100 metres wide with about 15,000 metres of land, distributing the work over 150 hectares.

The team is also deploying about 20,000 metres of pipes of various sizes and more than 50 pumps of different sizes and capabilities which will provide between 500 and 1,000 gallons of water per minute from local water sources.

“It’s likely the largest overland water distribution project Yellowknife has ever seen,” he said. “This is our main line of defence.”

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), which has deployed 124 soldiers, released a statement Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, about members' involvement in firefighting and civilian protection efforts.

"We are in #Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, in support of #OpLentus and have hit the ground running to provide support and help protect communities from wildfires. We're here for you!"

The CAF says its members are doing reconnaissance near Fort Smith and Hay River and building firebreaks in and around Yellowknife and Dettah.

On Monday, a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft flew 25 people from Hay River to Fort McMurry, while a second flew in another 75 people from Fort Smith.

Canadian Rangers also helped process evacuees at the Yellowknife airport Thursday.

"There is no change to the work CAF members are doing in the N.W.T.," a CAF spokesperson said in a statement. "The deployed teams ... will continue to enhance and complement local, territorial and federal resources as they respond to the ongoing wildfires, until the situation resolves and/or as long as it is safe to do so."

In a release issued Thursday, Conservative Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness Dane Lloyd called on the federal government to take action to keep foreign firefighters in the country.

"Recent news indicates that the heroic international firefighting brigades that have supported Canada throughout this fire season have not had their contracts extended or are being recalled home. It is imperative that international assistance continues to reach these at-risk areas, especially as crews battle fatigue after what has already been a long and challenging season," Lloyd said.

"Common Sense Conservatives are calling on Minister Harjit Sajjan to take immediate action to extend these expiring contracts and to negotiate with our allies to ensure we can continue to access the services and personnel needed to fight these fires."

For more information about evacuation orders, visit the territory's website.