Large wildland fires burning around Yellowknife have prompted Canadian authorities to issue evacuation orders for the city and other nearby communities.
Large wildland fires burning around Yellowknife have prompted Canadian authorities to issue evacuation orders for the city and other nearby communities. The city, the capital of the Northwest Territories, is home to about 20,000 people.
The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured an image (top of the page) showing several fires burning near Yellowknife at about 18:50 Universal Time (12:50 p.m. local time) on August 16, 2023. The second image (below) is a more detailed view of a fire burning to the northeast. At the time, active fire fronts appeared to be within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the city. Recently burned areas appear gray, and unburned forests are green. When the image was acquired, smoke streamed to the northeast.
“Residents living along the Ingraham Trail, in Dettah, Kam Lake, Grace Lake, and Engle Business District are currently at highest risk and should evacuate as soon as possible,” authorities said in a statement issued on August 16. “Other residents have until noon on Friday, August 18, 2023, to evacuate.”
Read more at NASA Earth Observatory
Image: Fires burning near the provincial capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories have forced evacuations for tens of thousands of people. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory)
