A look at wildfires and evacuations in N.W.T. and B.C.
YELLOWKNIFE – Some 20,000 people from Yellowknife and thousands more from other communities in the Northwest Territories have been ordered to leave due to nearby wildfires. Meanwhile, a significant number of homes have gone up in flames as a wildfire burns in West Kelowna in British Columbia’s interior. Here’s a look at the fires by the numbers.
Yellowknife
Size of the wildfire that is about 15 kilometres from Yellowknife: 1,669 square kilometres.
Population of Yellowknife: 20,000
Residents ordered to evacuate: all of Yellowknife and thousands in other N.W.T. communities.
Number of wildfires burning in the N. W. T: 236.
West Kelowna
Size of the fire that has spread around West Kelowna: 68 square kilometres
Population of West Kelowna: 38,000
Number of West Kelowna properties ordered to evacuate: more than 2,500.
Number of West Kelowna properties on evacuation alert: about 4,800.
Properties damaged: a “significant” number.
Number of wildfires burning in B.C.: 382.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2023.
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