Hay River mayor pleads with remaining residents to leave while they still can

Hay River, N.W.T., Mayor Kandis Jameson is pleading with residents remaining in the community to leave while they still can. 

She estimates that about 500 people are still in the town, a number she said left her "very disappointed."

In a press conference on Tuesday, Jameson said those residents "need to get to the airport" now while the town has a bit of breathing room. She expects winds to increase to 60 km/h in the coming days, and said the fire is only 15 kilometres from town.  

Jameson said there's a flight out of the community at 3 p.m., but she doesn't know yet where that plane will be going. 

On Sunday, most of the communities in the Northwest Territories' South Slave region were ordered to evacuate due to multiple wildfires either directly threatening communities or threatening to close highways connecting communities to the rest of the territory. 

Hay River, Kátł'odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Fort Smith, Salt River First Nation, and Jean Marie River are all under evacuation orders. Kakisa remains under an evacuation alert.

N.W.T. residents forced out by wildfires

1 year ago

Duration 1:39

Wildfires burning in several communities in the Northwest Territories have sparked evacuation orders. Premier Caroline Cochrane on Monday urged people to listen to officials and leave if they're asked, saying those who stay behind complicate firefighting efforts.

Jameson said the road out of town remains "treacherous." The town says there is no road access out of the community, and no essential services in town, including food, gas and health and pharmaceutical services.

"Those who remain in the community do stress limited resources, including power and fuel," the town wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday morning. 

Lack of telecommunication services a big risk

One of the biggest risks is the lack of communication. Phone and internet service is down across the South Slave region to Fort Providence, N.W.T., after wildfire destroyed key infrastructure in Enterprise, N.W.T. Jameson said they're unable to communicate with those remaining. 

"We have no way to tell them where to go," she said.

Jameson conducted the news conference using a personal Starlink satellite. 

She said if people don't leave by air now, the only way out will be by boat, but Jameson said she has no idea how to co-ordinate boat rides with no communication services.

Jameson has been going to areas where she thinks people are staying. She said she believes many of those remaining are elderly, while others who chose to hunker down in their homes.

The territory is setting up a 100-person camp for new firefighters, but dense smoke is hampering most aerial firefighting efforts, said the town. 

"More crews have arrived for structural protection work and to set up fire smart and sprinkler systems. The fire guard to the west of Hay River is being doubled in width and extended southward to Delancey," said the town. 

Evacuees are being asked to register with the territorial government, and to call the Hay River information line at 1-833-699-0188 if they have any questions.