August 16, 2023 – Pursuant to Section 17 of the Emergency Management Act and following the declaration of a state of emergency by the Minister on August 15, 2023, the Minister of
Municipal and Community Affairs directs that residents of the City of Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, Dettah and Ingraham Trail, begin evacuation procedures. Residents should evacuate according to risk. Residents living along the Ingraham Trail, in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake and Engle Business District are currently at the highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible. Other residents have until noon on Friday, August 18, 2023, to evacuate.
Additional Information
Residents have multiple options available to them for evacuation. These include:
Driving
• It is safe for residents who have a vehicle and are able to drive to start evacuating now.
• If there are smoky conditions, residents evacuating by highway will be escorted from
Yellowknife through the active fire zone.
• Please obey all warning signs, emergency management officials, traffic control devices
and posted speed limits.
• Please ensure that you have filled your gas tank before leaving Yellowknife.
• At this time there are no evacuations reception centres established for individuals
leaving Yellowknife by vehicle.
Air Evacuation
• Only residents who do not have the option to leave the area by road are asked to
register for evacuation flights.
• Residents who are immuno-compromised or have a condition that puts them at a higher
risk of severe outcomes are encouraged to register for flights as soon as possible due to
intensifying smoke in the region.
• Air evacuations are scheduled to begin at 1 pm Thursday, August 17, 2023.
• A flight schedule is currently under development and will be posted to the GNWTspublic safety page, along with other details before midnight tonight.
• Residents will be asked to present, with their baggage, at Sir John Franklin High School
after 10:00 AM Thursday, August 17, 2023.
• Due to space and weight limitations, bag size is limited to standard carry-on. Passengers
are asked to bring no more than 5 days’ worth of clothing, as well as essentials such as
medication, chargers and important family documents including identification,
insurance and bank records.
• Residents are also asked to bring snacks and a water bottle with them as there may be
an extended time between registration and arrival at the evacuation destination.
• Pets will be permitted on all flights, with the following restrictions:
o On commercial carriers, pets must be crated.
o On Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, pets should be crated whenever possible. If
crates are not available, cats must be harnessed, dogs must be leashed and both
must be held as close as possible at all times. Other pets must be contained in
appropriate cages.
Sheltering in Place
• There will be facilities in Yellowknife available for residents who wish to shelter in place.
• Evacuees from Dettah and the Ingraham Trail can find an evacuation center at the
Yellowknife Multiplex begins immediately.
• All residents arriving at the evacuation centers will be asked to register upon entering.
• Due to space limitations, residents are asked to bring no more than 5 days’ worth of
clothing, as well as blankets, sleeping bags, or other bedding, as well as essentials such
as medication, chargers and important family documents.
• The shelters will have food resources available, however, residents are asked to bring
non-perishable snacks and/or additional food items for themselves and their families.
• Pets will be permitted – residents are expected to crate animals, otherwise, pets must be
harnessed or leashed and always kept with their family.
• Please carpool or be dropped off at the shelters to avoid exceeding parking capacity.
• These shelters are a temporary measure and all residents who are planning to shelter in
place are asked to act with kindness towards their community members. Please offer
support to your friends and neighbours, like car rides or additional supplies, and be
respectful.
Boat Evacuation
• Evacuating by boat to an island or cabin is NOT recommended. With fires in the area air
quality is expected to decline. DO NOT evacuate to an island or cabin on Great Slave
Lake.
Residents who choose not to evacuate should understand they stay at their own risk.
Responders may not be able to come to your rescue if it is unsafe to do so.
Please follow the directions of emergency personnel and officials.
Stay up to date with the latest information by visiting the GNWT’s public safety webpage at:
https://www.gov.nt.ca/en/public-safety