The capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories has been left almost deserted and turned into a ghost town, after the entire population of just over 20,000 fled as a massive forest fire raged nearby.
Further south, in British Columbia, thousands of people have been told to leave their homes as firefighters battle a growing blaze that has set homes on fire.
Northwest Territories officials said Friday evening that about 19,000 people left Yellowknife in less than 48 hours, with about 15,000 leaving in convoys and 3,800 leaving on emergency flights.
“I’ve described today as another marathon,” said Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Atty. “It’s draining and, unfortunately, it hasn’t let up yet.”
The authorities confirmed that about 2,600 people are still in the city, 1,000 of whom are essential workers.
The province’s environment and climate change minister, Shane Thompson, said the bushfires remained critical and those non-emergency workers who remained were putting themselves and others at risk.
The streets were almost empty and the shops closed. “It’s a ghost town,” said Kieron Testart, who went from door to door checking for people.
A grocery store and pharmacy remained open on Friday, but are expected to be closed, and the last gas station was still operating in the afternoon.
Fire information officer Mike Westwick said cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped firefighters prevent wildfires from starting Friday, as they kept them 15 kilometers northwest of the city’s outskirts.
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2023-08-19 06:55:50
