Thousands of residents desperate to flee Yellowknife are told to return on Friday as planes fill up.
Image source, ReutersAngry residents of Yellowknife have been turned away from packed evacuation flights as a wildfire bears down upon the northern Canadian city.
People who waited in hours-long queues to board flights out on Thursday were told by officials to try again on Friday or Saturday.
The country’s two major airlines are also facing criticism over soaring air fares and rescheduling fees.
As of Thursday, the fire was 15km (9 miles) north-west of Yellowknife.
It could reach the city’s outskirts by Saturday.
It is one of nearly 240 wildfires raging through the Northwest Territories, which declared a state of emergency late on Tuesday.
While the region is vast and sparsely populated, its capital of Yellowknife is home to some 20,000 people – all of whom have been ordered to get out of the city by noon on Friday.
On Thursday, a massive queue of people waiting to register for evacuation flights had formed outside a local high school.
Amid light rainfall, police and military personnel moved down the line, handing out snacks, water and chairs.
Image source, Reuters
But by afternoon local time, Amy Kennedy, the government’s director of communications, said no more than 400 more people could be flown out of Yellowknife.
“We understand that this is deeply frustrating for those who have been in line for several hours and who will need to line up again tomorrow,” Ms Kennedy wrote.
She said those with mobility issues and the immunocompromised were among those who had been moved up the queue.
In a briefing on Thursday evening, officials said 22 planes were scheduled for Friday and 1,800 people should be able to get on those flights.
They said about 5,000 people need to leave Yellowknife by air.
Locals have accused Air Canada and WestJet of inflating prices for flights out of the city as well as change fees for travellers with upcoming flights into Yellowknife.
In a statement to CBC News, an Air Canada spokesman said fares for direct flights had been capped and the airline was currently doubling its regular operations in the city.
But he noted there were “limitations being imposed on flying due to the fires” and that Air Canada had cancelled flights on Saturday.
WestJet told the outlet it had adjusted fares to avoid “price escalation” and was also waiving reschedule fees for people travelling to Yellowknife in the next five days.
Other airlines have also been asked to help people flee the city.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had “touched base” with the city’s mayor to discuss the situation on the ground.
“I reaffirmed our government’s commitment to providing support both now and in the days and weeks ahead,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
About 46,000 people live in the Northwest Territories, and Canada’s military has been co-ordinating the largest airlift evacuation effort in the region’s history.
The communities of Fort Smith, K’atl’odeeche First Nation, Hay River, Enterprise, and Jean Marie River are all also under evacuation orders.
Kakisa, a community of about 40 people some 130km from Hay River, received an evacuation order on Thursday.
Canada is having its worst wildfire season on record, with nearly 1,100 active fires burning across the country as of Wednesday.
Experts have pointed to a warmer and drier spring than normal as the reason.
Scientists say climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.
