Alexandre Lepoutre / Photo credit: BC WILDFIRE SERVICE / ANADOLU AGENCY / ANADOLU AGENCY VIA AFP
Hundreds of active megafires continue to ravage Canada. In Yellowknife, the 20,000 residents have been evacuated for several days, but the operation is such a logistical challenge that they are still continuing this weekend. Several provinces are also mobilizing to welcome the evacuated inhabitants.
The Canadian Far North continues to be ravaged by flames. An entire capital is being emptied of its inhabitants. Yellowknife’s 20,000 residents have been ordered to leave their homes due to a threatening wildfire. They had until noon Friday local time, but the operation is such a logistical challenge that evacuations are still continuing this weekend. And they will have to be done as quickly as possible because the forest fire is fifteen kilometers from the city and could approach it again this weekend.
Solidarity between provinces
Thousands of people have already left on their own. It’s quite a journey in this remote region of Canada. Planes have also been chartered and other flights are still planned for this Saturday. Evacuees have been sent to neighboring Alberta, but evacuation centers there are reaching capacity.
Now is the time for solidarity. Several Canadian provinces are mobilizing to welcome the last evacuees and reinforcements have also been sent to Yellowknife, including 150 soldiers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited an evacuation center in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday evening.
Ottawa promises to mobilize all necessary resources to respond to this historic fire season in Canada. Because the Far North is far from being the only one to be affected, the province of British Columbia has just declared a state of emergency due to the almost 400 active fires on its territory.