updateThe residents of the city of Yellowknife in Canada have received an evacuation order. A huge wildfire in the north of the country is moving into the city and could reach the suburbs by the weekend. Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and has over 20,000 inhabitants.
According to the authorities, the people are in danger and must leave. Residents should go to the local stadium and follow the directions of professional rescuers, the Northwest Territories government website reports.
People in the surrounding communities of Yellowknife are currently most at risk and should leave as soon as possible. Other residents have until Friday local time to evacuate, the website reports.
Canada is currently experiencing its worst wildfire season on record with more than 1,000 wildfires across the country, 230 of which are raging in the Northwest Territories. Thousands of residents of this sparsely populated area in the Arctic Circle had to be evacuated. The village of Enterprise near the border with the Canadian province of Alberta was almost completely destroyed by fire on Sunday.
Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane said earlier that some citizens had already left Yellowknife as a precaution and urged residents to remain calm. She also warned that the highways could suddenly be closed due to a fire hazard. “I have never seen so many vehicles leave the city,” she said. “Be ready and evacuate if necessary. Stay calm. Do not panic.”
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