Whatı̀ residents evacuating community due to wildfire
The evacuation of Whatı̀, N.W.T., is proceeding in an orderly fashion by road, according to a Northwest Territories fire information officer.
The wildfire burning seven kilometres from the community’s airport is not expected to reach the road that leads out of the community, Mike Westwick said in an interview Friday morning.
However, he said, “Visibility is going to be challenging. … And emergency management officials here are ensuring that people take that into account and drive with care on their way out of town here.”
Officials in Whatı̀ declared a state of local emergency Friday morning and ordered residents to leave.
“Whatı̀ residents are required to evacuate the area immediately due to a wildfire in the area,” senior administrative officer Sherbaz Muhammad wrote in the evacuation order.
“Evacuees must register at the Whatı̀ Cultural Centre. Reception centres are being set up in Behchokǫ̀ and Yellowknife. Evacuees will receive more information when you register.”
Yellowknife, Behchokǫ̀ mobilizing to host evacuees
Whatı̀, a community of about 600 people, is on the southeast side of Lac La Martre and is a 167-kilometre drive from Behchokǫ̀. It had been under an evacuation alert since Wednesday afternoon, meaning officials were warning residents to prepare to leave at a moment’s notice.
The senior administrative officer in Behchokǫ̀ has notified evacuees that meals will be served for them at the Behchokǫ̀ Cultural Centre during set hours.
Behchokǫ̀ Chief Bertha Rabesca Zoe told CBC about 200 cots are being set up at their community centre. She said the community is a temporary stay for Whatı̀ residents until Yellowknife is ready for them.
Evacuees arriving in Yellowknife can register at the Fieldhouse at 45 Kam Lake Rd., Yellowknife Coun. Garett Cochrane posted on Facebook.
Yellowknife Mayor Ben Hendriksen said in a Facebook post that the Fieldhouse and Multiplex will be closed to public use for now as the city prepares to host evacuees. He also said some city services might be slower.
“Please show kindness and support to Whatı̀ residents as they become temporary Yellowknifers,” he wrote. “We all know the challenges of being far from home in these difficult moments.”
The outlook for Friday
Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting winds from the south of up to 10 kilometres per hour for Whatı̀ on Friday. The weather office is also calling for a daytime high of 30 C in the area.
The fire remained about seven kilometres from Whatı̀’s airport as of Friday morning, Westwick said: it had not approached any closer than it had on Thursday.
Westwick credited the lack of movement in part to a blanket of smoke hanging over the area, contributing to higher humidity levels.
But, he said, officials are concerned that the smoke may lift in the afternoon, allowing fire activity to increase.
He said crews, meanwhile, have successfully set up and tested sprinkler systems on the edge of the community.
“We’ll be running them throughout the day [to] get the community good and wet, protect those structures, mitigate losses if the fire does approach. And if the opportunity presents itself, we will hit it with aircraft from helicopters and air tankers if the visibility allows for safe flight into that area.”
Crews were able to help cool the end of the fire closest to the community on Thursday by fighting it from the air, he added.
However, they also saw growth from a finger of the fire that had grown out to the east.
It could also advance north if the smoke lifts Friday, Westwick said.
“The drought conditions in the area are making controlling these fires extremely challenging,” he said.
“They escape those control efforts despite best efforts … every step of the way here. And we’re in a position now where we need to be doing everything we can to protect this community.”
With files from Shannon Scott
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Officials hope natural barriers hold back wildfire near Whatı̀, N.W.T., CBC News
Finland: Wildfires continue to burn across Lapland, Yle News
Norway: Smoke from Canadian wildfires forecast to reach Norway, The Associated Press
Russia: New NOAA report finds vast Siberian wildfires linked to Arctic warming, The Associated Press
Sweden: High risk of wildfires in many parts of Sweden, including North, Radio Sweden
United States: Wildfires in Anchorage? Climate change sparks disaster fears, The Associated Press
