Evacuation orders for parts of Northwest Territories; residents airlifted away from threat of wildfires

The Government of the Northwest Territories issued insistent warnings on Monday advising residents to evacuate Hay River, Enterprise, K’atl’odeeche First Nation, Fort Smith and surrounding areas as wildfires spread near the communities.

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In Hay River and Fort Smith, residents were urged to avoid driving on local highways and to head to their local airport immediately as conditions were expected to get worse.

“Conditions are dangerous and will continue to worsen. Highway travel is not an option as a way out,” the government’s evacuation orders read.

“Your safest way out is on the plane, NOW. GO TO THE AIRPORT NOW.”

Long-term care residents had been transported to Yellowknife by Monday morning, while other residents were being airlifted from the Hay River airport to Grand Prairie, Alta., and Fort McMurray, Alta., according to the Town of Hay River.

The municipality said firefighters from other areas, four helicopters and water bombers were heading to the community on Monday to help put out the flames, which travelled approximately 39 kilometres towards Hay River on Sunday “due to high winds.”

“Significant structure damage” was reported in the Hamlet of Enterprise, Patterson Road area, parts of Paradise Gardens, along with “significant damage” to the Northwestel Fibre lines and electrical lines south of Patterson Road, officials said.

“Our thoughts are with those that have lost homes and businesses,” the Town of Hay River said in a Facebook post.

The rescue operation is one of the largest in the history of the Northwest Territories, which has had six community evacuations so far this wildfire season, Environment and Climate Change Minister Shane Thompson said.

With communication lines compromised in the South Slave region, officials were trying their best to share timely updates with community members.

1/2 I am saddened that another NWT community is being evacuated due to a wildfire – marking the sixth such community evacuation this season. Residents of Fort Smith, please know that you will be supported during this challenging time.

— Shane Thompson (@Nahendeh_MLA) August 13, 2023

In an update Monday afternoon, officials said two fires were of particular concern — one moving north from Alberta and Wood Buffalo National Park and another moving east from Kakisa, both of which had “grown significantly” since a previous update.

“Today, less strong but still significant winds will continue to push both fires south and east,” the Government of the Northwest Territories said.

Former Dene National Chief Noeline Villebrun said she was travelling from Yellowknife to Fort Resolution for a funeral on Sunday afternoon, but was turned away because of a fire in the region.

“When we spoke to the highway patrol officer, he shared some information and he had said that the fire had travelled 18 kilometres in one hour, … and that's got to do with the wind,” Villebrun told CTV News Channel on Monday.

“The wind was very strong as we're driving, we (could) see the trees that were bent over. That's how fast the wind was blowing, so that didn't help the fire.”

Although her community was not impacted, Villebrun said she felt “a lot of anxiety” and was concerned for those who were directly impacted by the wildfires.

“Even though we live in Yellowknife, we have family all around those communities. We're all connected. So if one community is impacted, you know, we feel that devastation and we try to do what we can by raising money or putting up someone in accommodations or sharing food,” she added.  

The Canadian military was called in on Sunday to assist with firefighting efforts in the Northwest Territories as the country faces its worst wildfire season ever. 

As of Monday, there were 1,096 active forest fires in Canada, 234 of which were in the Northwest Territories, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.