Flights for residents in Yellowknife, Dettah, Ingraham Trail, and Ndilǫ who are unable to evacuate by vehicle will begin taking off out of the capital at 1 p.m. Thursday.
The evacuation order was issued by the GNWT shortly after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, with Minister Shane Thompson telling impacted residents they hope to have all residents in the effected region out by noon on Friday, by plane, car, or bus.
Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty spoke to mytruenorthnow.com shortly after the announcement was made Wednesday, and urged all residents in the evacuation zone to take the advisories seriously. She adds while the fire remains a relative distance from the border of the city, the threat to the municipality is enough to warrant the clear out.
“I want to stress that the fire isn’t here; there is a possibility that without rain, the fire reaches the outskirts of Yellowknife by the weekend. So, it is approaching, but there is time to complete our community evacuation,” Alty says.
The GNWT says the decision was made to call for the evacuation order was helped by driveable conditions on Highway 3, which could allow for a large influx of evacuees leaving the area while the conditions still allow it. For anyone who is unable to drive, Alty adds plans are in place for flights for as many who need them, but urges an orderly filing to the airport.
“For folks who don’t have the means to drive out, flights will begin tomorrow at 1 p.m. and they will continue until everyone is evacuated,” she says.
Details about flight schedules, and all information surrounding the evacuation will be updated on the GNWT Public Safety website.
