NWT wildfires: Anxiety in Behchok?? as Yellowknife fire burns

In the Northwest Territories the fire near Yellowknife is officials say highly unlikely to reach the outskirts of the city in the next three days but it will be weeks before anyone is allowed to return about 20 000 people were ordered to leave last week many went to the

Small town of bechiko it’s about an hour west of Yellowknife and more than a six-hour drive from the nearest community in Alberta as Jeff Semple reports the scramble to safety has separated families heightening anger and anxiety fire crews in the north are moving from defense to offense but right now we’re

Looking at going to going towards a direct attack strategy on the perimeter of that the fire remains 15 kilometers from Yellowknife and it was feared it would hit the city on Saturday but rain is turning the tide we’re also looking at winds that’ll be favorable uh for the most part we’re looking at

Um you know moving forward the good news is sparking some camping in forests nearby to begin considering a homecoming I’m bound and determined to get back as soon as like as soon as I don’t think the fire is going to get get to the town

I think I’m going to try and get back but whether the lettuce is another thing the mayor of Yellowknife says some residents who left are now trying to return but unless they’re essential workers the police are stopping them yay the weather’s holding and yay we’ve got

The we’ve got their brakes but it’s not yay we get to come home yet so um really encouraging people you’re safe where you are and we’ll tell you when it’s safe to return waiting anxiously just down the highway is the small town of bechiko the closest Community to

Yellowknife where the road is blocked the community of betchiko was hit with its own Wildfire just a few weeks ago take a look at what’s left of this home at that time people here fled down the road to Yellowknife well now people from Yellowknife are taking Refuge here in

Betchiko Katrina knuckleby is one of them we seem to be the the poster children for natural disasters betchiko is home to the kletcho people from The denne First Nation their MLA says many of their community members are now missing it’s a nightmare I mean there was no communication with the indigenous

Leaders Jane will Yellen Armstrong says in the scramble to follow evacuation orders some of their elders and homeless people were rushed onto planes and sent to cities of across western Canada especially with the language barriers yeah we’re afraid for them and there’s nobody there with them she says even

Children in Care Homes were sent away their parents left with no word on their whereabouts they wouldn’t know where their children are and then they’re saying this is this feels like a 60 Scoops because they send their children out Yellow Knife should have done a better job you know dealing with this

With the patient with the homelessness with with the vulnerable people and it didn’t happen I asked the mayor of Yellowknife about those concerns she says the territory oversaw the evacuation but that no adults were put on those planes without their consent though the same can’t be said for children and seniors in Care

Homes the mayor says anyone in the territory looking for information on a missing loved one should call 811 Donna all right Jeff Semple in betchiko Northwest Territories thanks

Yellowknife ordered its entire population of about 20,000 people to leave over a nearby wildfire, which is sitting just 15 kilometres from the city.

Many of those evacuees took refuge in the community of Behchok??, the nearest town by road to the capital of the Northwest Territories.

But as Jeff Semple reports, the scramble to safety has separated families, leaving evacuees anxious and angry.

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