A state of emergency has been declared in Canada's Northwest Territories
The wildfires are to blame.
We recently wrote that Canadians shouldn't expect the wildfire season to end anytime soon. And this week, news began to come in confirming that disappointing forecast. On Tuesday, authorities in the Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency due to out-of-control wildfires. The situation in the South Slave and North Slave regions is ever-changing, and the cities of Fort Smith and Hay River are at risk. Due to the wildfires approaching from the west, the city of Yellowknife is also at risk, according to the government.
"The decision to declare a territory-wide State of Emergency allows the Government of the Northwest Territories and our partners to access and deploy resources so that we can continue our work to protect residents and communities in a more efficient manner. We find ourselves in a crisis situation and our government is using every tool available to assist," said Northwest Territories Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Shayne Thompson.
The government issued warnings on Monday advising residents of the towns of Hay River and Fort Smith, the village of Enterprise, the community of K'atl'odeeche First Nation and surrounding areas to evacuate as wildfires approached populated areas. Yellowknife declared a state of emergency Monday night.
The military, which includes 124 soldiers, is mobilized and ready to assist in the fire situation in the Northwest Territories. Military aviation is helping to evacuate hundreds of citizens by air, and hundreds of military personnel are participating in firefighting efforts, such as dousing hot spots and clearing areas.
More than 230 wildfires were burning in the Northwest Territories as of Tuesday, according to Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
