Thick smoke blanketed the city of Yellowknife. Officials said the slow-moving fire, currently 15 kilometres northwest of the city, could reach the suburbs by Saturday if there is no rain.
Smoke covers the Canadian city of Yellowknife. Photo: CBC
“The coming days will be challenging. Winds on Friday and Saturday are expected to push the fire towards the City of Yellowknife,” the city’s fire service said in a statement on Facebook.
In the Canadian province of British Columbia, which has suffered unusually intense fires this year, officials have warned residents to prepare for extreme conditions due to wildfires.
In Yellowknife, hundreds of people lined up outside a local high school waiting to be taken to the airport for evacuation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened an emergency meeting to discuss the fires on Thursday, including senior officials and ministers.
This is Canada's worst wildfire season yet, with more than 1,000 fires burning across the country. Experts say climate change has exacerbated the wildfire problem.
Drought is a contributing factor to the increase in fires this year, with high temperatures exacerbating the situation, officials said.
Trung Kien (according to Reuters)
Source
Comment (0)