Heavy smoke from nearby wildfires fills the sky in Yellowknife, NWT on Aug. 15.Angela Gzowski/The Canadian Press
Mounties have told some staff and members’ families to leave the capital of the Northwest Territories as a wildfire roaring near the city’s edge could force a mass evacuation in the coming days.
Three neighbourhoods in western Yellowknife – Kam Lake, Grace Lake and the Engle Business District – are under an evacuation alert that advises residents to be packed and ready to leave their homes within an hour’s notice. A blaze is burning just 17 kilometres from the municipal boundary, according to the territorial fire service.
Across the territory, there are nearly 240 fires burning, which have displaced thousands from their homes, many airlifted south to Alberta, while NWT operates under a state of local emergency. Yellowknife, where roughly 20,000 people live, also called a state of local emergency but officials say it is more of a precautionary measure right now.
However, local RCMP told its non-essential civilian staff and members’ families to “pre-emptively evacuate,” according to an e-mail obtained by local news agency Cabin Radio. Mounties confirmed to The Globe and Mail, in a statement on Wednesday, that the message was sent on Tuesday night.
“I would categorize this advice as precautionary and for those who wish to leave. Like all Yellowknifers there has been concern amongst our families and staff. The message was intended to support those who wish to leave until the situation is resolved,” said Corporal Matt Halstead. “Allowing us to square away our families now, whether that’s having them leave or hunker down, will keep us from worrying as our duties continue.”
Cpl. Halstead said officers and other essential personnel will remain at their posts if evacuations are ordered and will support the city in this effort. Mounties are currently ensuring active investigative files and exhibits for continuing investigations are safe, he added. Non-uniformed RCMP members have been tapped to work in the event civilians are told to flee.
The NWT fire service said, on social media, that strong winds could push the fire nearing Yellowknife another five kilometres on Wednesday while smoke and ash choke the city. Rain may be in the forecast but the agency warned that, without it, the blaze could make a run at the capital’s boundary by the weekend.
More than 2.1 million hectares of land has been destroyed by wildfires in NWT, about four times the size of Prince Edward Island. Evacuations have been ordered for Enterprise, Fort Smith, Hay River and Jean Marie River, the K’atl’odeeche First Nation and some cabin communities. The fires have torn through homes and other structures, closed highways and upended wireless telecommunications in certain areas – leaving residents essentially in the dark for emergency information.
Jay Bulckaert and Robin Wasicuna clear trees from a backyard after a state of emergency was declared due to the proximity of a wildfire in Yellowknife, NWT, on Aug. 16.PAT KANE/Reuters
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane to discuss the situation and federal support, including the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces and aircraft. Mr. Trudeau reaffirmed Ottawa’s support and said the leaders will remain in close contact.
The unprecedented wildfire season in Canada – that’s already toppled its historic record for hectares torched with weeks still remaining – is draining firefighting resources. Many provinces and territories are relying on help from international fire personnel, and the military, to help battle the blazes and aid in evacuations.
In British Columbia, the provincial wildfire service warned residents that a cold front, starting in the northwest corner of the province Wednesday and sweeping to the southeast corner by late Friday, could spark new fires and fuel some of the existing 365 blazes, 145 of which are deemed out of control.
The ridge of high pressure, which brought extreme temperatures to parts of B.C. this week, is expected to break down, ushering in the cold front, accompanied by lightening without rain and strong, shifting winds. Crews are securing fireguards, executing planned ignitions, and snuffing out active fire perimeters in anticipation of the weather shift.
Wind can quickly cause havoc, like it did in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen late Tuesday. The district advised people in the Cathedral Provincial Park and Snowy Protected Area, popular outdoor spots, to shelter in place because of the Gillanders Creek and Crater Creek wildfires.
The fires merged and exploded in size Tuesday thanks to windy conditions and now cover roughly 10,000 hectares, up from about a combined 1,000 hectares prior to the wind picking up, said Dale Bojahra with the BC Wildfire Service during a press conference on Wednesday.
Local officials opted for a shelter-in-place order rather than evacuation because the road out was impassable owing to fire, rockfall and downed trees. Roughly 80 people convoyed out early Wednesday afternoon. While it is believed everyone is out of the park, officials were unable to provide an update on search-and-rescue dispatched Wednesday morning to extract a hiker who had connected with RCMP via a satellite communications device.
Keith Crow, the chief of Lower Similkameen Indian Band, on Wednesday questioned why officials let the two fires burn after they ignited in July, only to end up in an emergency situation weeks later.
“We’re not being given answers,” he said, adding that his band imposed an evacuation order on 36 homes, affecting about 75 people. “When are we going to get to the point that we are going to start taking care of these fires?”
Mr. Bojahra addressed some of Mr. Crow’s concerns, noting that the terrain in the area is steep, creating safety issues for fire crews. Immediate threats to life and property trump concern for remote forest, he said.
Resources for N.W.T. residents:
- N.W.T. residents who need to evacuate can register here. Information for evacuees can be found here.
- Territorial wildfire updates can be found here. Report smoke or fire by calling 1-877-698-3473.
- Emergency response resources can be found here.
- The latest community statuses, including notices, alerts and orders, can be found here.
Alanna Smith
Carrie Tait