YELLOWKNIFE — Wildfires advanced closer to the transportation hub point of Hay River in the Northwest Territories Friday, forcing crews to retreat and non-essential workers to flee.
“Extremely high temperatures and strong southwest winds have created a blow-up event that has overwhelmed firefighters at the north end of the fire,” fire information officer Jessica Davey-Quantick told reporters in a conference call Friday night.She said the fire was reported as close as seven kilometres to fireguards protecting the town, but said it has likely advanced closer than that.“No firefighters have left at this time.
About two-thirds of the 45,000 people who call the N.W.T. home have left for evacuation centres, campgrounds and hotels as far south as Calgary and as far east as Winnipeg. “Our firefighting budget typically is under $20 million, and we are more than three times that, probably four or five times that at this point,” said N.W.T. Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek.
“What we were trying to do is, firstly, be quick about what we were designing. Secondly, try to do something that could respond to a real range of themes that we're hearing right now around making sure that people's essential needs are met,” said Wawzonek. Cochrane said she's spent years calling for the federal government to help the territory develop roads and communication technologies needed to keep people safe as the territory sees more fires and other climate change impacts."And now I'm angry."
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