Residents in the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories heeded evacuation warnings as a massive wildfire approached the city. As the worst fire season on record in Canada continued, thousands of people in Yellowknife drove long distances to reach safety or waited in line for emergency flights.

Airtankers were deployed to keep the only route out of Yellowknife open, while a network of fire guards, sprinklers, and water cannons were established to protect the city.

The fire, which was caused by lightning over a month ago, has grown to 1,670 square kilometers and is not expected to be extinguished soon. Indigenous communities have been severely affected by the wildfires, which threaten important cultural activities. In another part of British Columbia, a wildfire in West Kelowna burned homes and forced residents to evacuate.

Several first responders became trapped while rescuing people who refused to evacuate. The fire grew six times larger overnight and covered an area of 68 square kilometers. Canada has experienced a record number of wildfires this year, with over 5,700 fires burning more than 137,000 square kilometers across the country.

As of Friday morning, more than 1,000 wildfires were burning, with over half of them out of control. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged ministers to ensure communication services remained available and vowed to eliminate price gouging on flights and essential goods.

The evacuation order applied to Yellowknife and neighboring communities, including Ndilo and Dettah, where Indigenous communities rely on hunting, fishing, and gathering native plants. Over 6,800 people in eight other communities in the territory have already been forced to leave their homes.

The fire season has caused widespread destruction and uncertainty for residents, with some questioning what will be left when they are able to return. The situation remains critical and residents continue to face danger as the fires show no signs of abating.