CNN
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Thousands of residents are rushing to evacuate the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories as more than 200 fires have raged across the region, leaving many facing dangerous road conditions or queuing for hours on badly needed emergency flights.
Orders have been issued to evacuate the capital, Yellowknife — home to about 20,000 — and several other Northwest Territories communities as crews battle 236 active fires in the area. Residents in Yellowknife were urged to evacuate by noon Friday as a massive fire raged towards the city and a major highway.
Hell in the Northwest Territories is among more than 1,000 fires burning across Canada as the country endures its worst fire season on record. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with a group of senior government officials and ministers on Thursday to discuss the ongoing fires and their potential impact on infrastructure, including roads and telecommunications.
The Canadian Armed Forces assist with firefighting and airlift efforts in the Northwest Territories. The Royal Canadian Air Force has deployed several aircraft and helicopters to support regional emergency crews.
“We are all tired of the word unprecedented, yet there is no other way to describe this situation in the Northwest Territories,” Premier Caroline Cochran said in a statement Wednesday evening.
More than 1,000 people were airlifted from Yellowknife on emergency flights Thursday, and nearly 2,000 more seats are available Friday, county officials said in an online update. Many hoping to travel on Thursday stood for hours in a zigzag, slow-moving line only to be told they would need to try again on Friday, CNN affiliate CBC reports.
“We understand this is very frustrating for those who have been in line for several hours and who will need to line up again tomorrow,” the area update said. She added that people who are immunocompromised, have problems with movement or have other high-risk conditions were taken to the classes.
Officials encourage people to leave by car, if possible, and carpools to reduce traffic and assist those without vehicles.
“Evacuation flights should be used as a last resort for those who do not have the option of evacuating overland,” district officials said.
But some who did emerge from the area encountered thick smoke and roads strewn with flames. Yellowknife resident Roy Pineda told CNN that he and his family had difficulty navigating through thick fog after the evacuation order was announced Wednesday.
“We weren’t actually fully prepared,” Pineda said. “On the road, we were all scared of what we saw in front of us, but we kept reminding ourselves that it’s better to be outside than stranded.”
Pineda described the dangerous road situation as he and others attempted to flee the capital.
“On the road you could see the fire and we were fighting because of the smoke,” he said. “Visibility on the road was very bad. We couldn’t even tell if someone was ahead of us.”
He and his family were still on the road Thursday morning and were heading to seek shelter in Edmonton, about 900 miles to the south.
“We’re so exhausted now. We’ve hardly slept and we’re very worried about our house in Yellowknife and if we’ll still have one,” Pineda said.
