A look at fires, evacuations in N.W.T. and B.C.

Thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes as wildfires approach in the Northwest Territories, including some 20,000 people in the territorial capital of Yellowknife. Meanwhile, flames have devoured a number of houses as a wildfire burns in West Kelowna, a city in British Columbia’s interior. Here’s a look at the fires by the numbers:

Yellowknife

Distance between Yellowknife and the fire: about 15 kilometres

Size of the blaze: 1,669 square kilometres

Population of Yellowknife: approximately 20,000 people

Residents ordered to evacuate: all of Yellowknife and thousands in other N.W.T. communities

Percentage of residents who have evacuated: 95 per cent

Number of wildfires burning in the N.W.T: 236

West Kelowna

Size of the fire that has spread around West Kelowna: 105 square kilometres, but officials say it is likely larger

Population of West Kelowna: approximately 38,000 people

Number of West Kelowna properties ordered to evacuate: about 10,700

Number of West Kelowna properties on evacuation alert: about 9,500

Properties damaged: a “significant” number

Number of wildfires burning in B.C.: 380

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 19, 2023.

The Canadian Press

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