A member of the Canadian Armed Forces directs people on to a bus destined for the Yellowknife airport in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, on Aug. 18, 2023. The Canadian Armed Forces participated in an evacuation operation, helping residents out of Yellowknife as wildfires approached the city. (Canadian Armed Forces/Handout via Xinhua)
OTTAWA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- More wildfire crises occurred in western Canada on Friday.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on social media that the government continues to urgently mobilize resources in the Northwest Territories and stands ready to provide support in Kelowna.
Kelowna, a city in British Columbia with a population of about 150,000, has declared a state of emergency amid wildfires.
The City of West Kelowna, with a population of around 36,000, also declared a local state of emergency. Authorities confirmed Friday in a press conference that there had been some structural loss in the city. More than 2,400 nearby properties are under evacuation orders.
In the Northwest Territories, evacuation efforts in Yellowknife continue on Friday. According to local media, 26 evacuation flights have been scheduled out of the city to Calgary. The federal government said it is contracting private planes to supplement military efforts.
The territorial government said the fire remained out of control 15 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife, adding critical and challenging days ahead are expected.
Trudeau convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the wildfire crisis in the Northwest Territories and extreme weather across the country.
According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there were around 1,000 active forest fires in Canada as of Friday, more than 380 of which were in British Columbia and more than 230 in the Northwest Territories. ■
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces Air Task Force carry hospital patients to board an aircraft at the Yellowknife airport in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, on Aug. 18, 2023. The Canadian Armed Forces participated in an evacuation operation, helping residents out of Yellowknife as wildfires approached the city. (Canadian Armed Forces/Handout via Xinhua)
This photo taken on Aug. 18, 2023 shows an aircraft getting ready for the relocation of hospital patients from the Yellowknife hospital to Vancouver at the Yellowknife airport in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The Canadian Armed Forces participated in an evacuation operation, helping residents out of Yellowknife as wildfires approached the city. (Canadian Armed Forces/Handout via Xinhua)
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces guide people to board a civilian aircraft for Calgary at the Yellowknife airport in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, on Aug. 18, 2023. The Canadian Armed Forces participated in an evacuation operation, helping residents out of Yellowknife as wildfires approached the city. (Canadian Armed Forces/Handout via Xinhua)