The northernmost Canadian city of Yellowknife has declared a state of local emergency to prepare for potential threats from surrounding wildfires.
A state of emergency authorizes the city to "acquire or use real or personal property, whether private or public, considered necessary to prevent, combat, or alleviate the effects of the emergency."
The announcement was made at a special 6 p.m. meeting of the City Council on Monday.
"The situation is serious and we've been taking it very seriously," said City Mayor Rebecca Alty.
The wildfire raging between the city and Behchok crossed control lines set up around Yellowknife on Sunday, August 13.
Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories and one of the major settlements in the sparsely inhabited north, with a population of around 20,000 people.
Evacuation plan
An evacuation alert has been issued to Kam Lake, Grace Lake, and the Engle Business District.
The three areas affected are all on the city's western outskirts. Grace Lake is a newer residential area, while Kam Lake is both residential and industrial.
Hall Crescent is not included in the evacuation notice.
The SPCA and a fuel tank farm are located in the Engle Business District, which is an industrial region. The city has spent the last two days clearing trees in this region.
Alty told local news that the evacuation notification is merely precautionary and that residents in certain locations should be prepared to evacuate immediately.
The local government announced that the Yellowknife multiplex will be open for individuals who require a place to stay, and the next step will be announced soon.
However, some residents criticized this move and challenged the city's decision not to announce a city-wide evacuation plan.
"I feel like our evacuation plan should have been made available to the public weeks ago," Alexis Goulding said.
Territory-wide state of emergency
The Northwest Territories issued a state of emergency to deal with an "unprecedented" wildfire situation.
Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson acknowledged in a press statement that they are in a crisis situation, but that the government is working and uaing to use every tool they have to assist residents.
The Emergency Management Act declaration allows the government to "acquire and deploy the necessary resources to support the management of this unprecedented wildfire season and protect the health and safety of Northwest Territories residents."
This will also give the minister and others authorized by the minister additional authority to conduct all acts and take all required steps to deal with an emergency while the order is in effect.
The declaration will be valid for 14 days and can be renewed if the minister judges that there is still an emergency.
According to Mike Westwick, N.W.T. Fire Information Officer, flying aircraft between Yellowknife and Behchok has been challenged owing to smoke from the fire.
Westwick further stated that they have been out in the field since day one to fight the progress of the wildfire.
This year, the Northwest Territories has suffered 265 wildfires, significantly more than its 10-year annual average of 185, and some settlements have been evacuated owing to the dangers of blazes.
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