Head for the rec centre now, says Fort Smith, as wildfire approaches
Highway 5 is closed due to the wildfire
Anyone still in Fort Smith, N.W.T., should head for the community recreation centre immediately, the town said just before 11 p.m. MT Sunday night. The nearby wildfire is now approaching the community, creating an "imminent risk to personal safety."
The town said people in the Bell Rock area will be hit first and must head to safety.
It said planes are evacuating people. The next aircraft will be leaving at 1 a.m.
The town says animals can be brought to the recreation centre and tethered in the day care fenced area. Small animals can be kept in crates inside the recreation centre.
As the telecommunication outage in Fort Smith continued, N.W.T. residents created a wildfire safety check page on Facebook so those who are safe could notify loved ones.
Wood Buffalo National Park posted on their Facebook page that the fire is expected to reach within five kilometres of the community's west end by midnight.
Adam McNab, the emergency management coordinator for Fort Smith, said the town is heavily impacted by smoke and they are working to make sure there are additional evacuation resources in place. The town will be using the community recreation centre for those who don't have proper accommodations.
Anyone sheltering in the community is told to take any steps to keep smoke out of the home.
Highway 5 was closed Sunday afternoon, and remains closed, due to the wildfire.
At 5:45 p.m. the territory issued a "critical" alert on the wildfires telling residents of Hay River, Fort Smith, Enterprise and Kátł'odeeche First Nation to head to Grand Prairie, Alta.