Residents flee as ‘unprecedented’ fires hit Canada’s Northwest Territories

Canadian officials say 20,000 residents of Canada’s Northwest Territories Capital, Yellowknife are leaving via land and air, but the northern city is not yet in immediate danger.

These families have crammed into a local airport and lined up along a major highway out of the Northwest Territories to escape wildfires, as Canada is going through its worst wildfire season on record with more than 1,000 active fires burning across the country, including more than 200 in the Northwest Territories alone.

Local officials say special teams are cutting trees near the city to prevent flames from spreading and plan to use fire retardant on certain historic and logistically important buildings to protect them from the fires.

It should be noted that dry conditions and high temperatures have made wildfires more frequent across the world.