YELLOWKNIF, NWT/EDMONTON, Aug. 18 (Reuters) – A massive wildfire in western Canada’s British Columbia prompted evacuation orders early Friday as residents of the remote northern city of Yellowknife scrambled out of town before the The flames prevent them from escaping.

A state of emergency was declared early Friday in Kelowna, a city about 300 km east of Vancouver with a population of about 150,000. Pacific County says the next 24 to 48 hours could be the toughest.

Some of the hills around the city ablaze in the dawn light after a wildfire that has been burning since Tuesday jumped into Okanagan Lake and spread through parts of Kelowna.

“Residents under an evacuation warning are advised to be prepared to leave their homes at any moment,” the city said in a statement, adding that people should prepare to be away from their homes for an extended period.

About 885 miles (1,425 km) to the northeast, the wildfire that threatened Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territory, made little progress Thursday, but changing winds mean it could reach the suburbs by the end of the week, Mike Westwick said. . Fire information officer.

“The next two days are very crucial and will be some of the toughest challenges of the season,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation early Friday.

“We’re going to put everything we have into slowing that down. We’re going to throw planes at it and when it’s safe, we’re going to throw people at it,” Westwick said.

The fire is located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) northwest of the city, but variable winds are expected to bring it closer. The only highway outside the city caught fire on both sides, but remained open.

Leaving Yellowknife, you’re driving in smoke,” said Brent Saulnier, who was visiting the city from nearby Alberta. “It’s on fire on both sides of the road… It’s a very surreal experience.”

Many still have to leave the city of about 20,000, with the evacuation deadline set at noon local time (1800 GMT). Authorities said about 10 evacuation planes took about 1,500 people out of Yellowknife on Thursday, and about 22 flights were scheduled for Friday.

It’s still really stressful. There are still a lot of people in Yellowknife who feel terrible,” said resident Tebbia Teoncey, who was evacuated to Edmonton, Alberta.

It appears that about 65% of the total population of 46,000 in the Northwest Territories will be evacuated.

Westwick said teams that included members of the military were cutting down vegetation to create fire breaks, setting up sprinkler systems, and setting arson to get rid of fuel before a larger fire approached.

Widening fire risks and disruption to life and the land is highlighting the intensity of Canada’s worst-ever wildfire season this year, with more than 1,000 active fires burning across the country.

drought conditions

Experts say climate change has exacerbated the problem of wildfires. Officials say drought and high temperatures have been a contributing factor to the number and intensity of this year’s fires. Much of Canada experienced abnormally dry conditions.

As the number of evacuees increased in Grande Prairie and St. Albert, on the northern outskirts of Edmonton, both cities announced that their centers had reached full capacity and redirected all evacuees to a new center in Leduc south of the regional capital Edmonton.

Among them was the Gore family from High River Township.

When they got an alert on their phone while camping, the family was left unsure of where their son, Liam, 13, would land as he returned from a training trip in the neighboring Yukon Territory.

As the family made their way to Alberta, what mattered most to Paula Gore was her family.

“The only thing I had in mind was that I had the kids and the dogs, and we had each other just to get out of there. That’s all you can really think about at the time,” she said.

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.