Residents and evacuees can call 1-844-259-1793 to ask questions about evacuation
Territorial State of Emergency
The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has extended the Territorial State of Emergency.
This allows the GNWT to acquire and deploy the necessary resources to support emergency management and protect the health and safety of Northwest Territories residents.
This measure has ensured that the Emergency Management Organization (EMO) is better equipped to support the GNWT, community governments, and public agencies involved in emergency management plans and programs under the Emergency Management Act.
General Updates
The latest updates from the Emergency Management Organization can be found here: Latest Updates
Information about which NWT communities are currently under an evacuation order can be found here: Notices, Alerts, and Orders
Information about Evacuee Reception Centre locations can be found here: Evacuee Reception Centres
Today at 5pm the City of Yellowknife and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation announced the following:
“YELLOWKNIFE AND YKDFN ANNOUNCE DATES FOR PHASED RE-ENTRY
Commencing August 29, 2023, YKDFN and the City began contacting essential personnel and critical businesses to re-establish basic services. It is anticipated that these individuals will return to our communities on September 4 and 5, 2023 (subject to status of Highway 1). As outlined in our re-entry plans, the Evacuation Order can be reduced to an Evacuation Alert once essential services in Yellowknife, Dettah and N’Dilo are confirmed to be ready for everyone returning home. This is scheduled to be ready by Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 12:00p.m., barring any increase in wildfire activity and risk along Highway 1 or near Yellowknife between now and then.”
To see their full post click here.
In response to the City of Yellowknife and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation’s announcement of a tentative date and time of 12:00 PM Wednesday, September 6, 2023 for residents to begin returning to Dettah, N’Dilo and Yellowknife, Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson has issued a statement that you can read in full here.
The GNWT will be holding a Press Conference tomorrow, Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 4:00 PM to provide residents with information about:
Follow NWT Fire for updates on wildfire:
Fire Bans
The current fire bans have been extended for all public and private lands in both the North Slave and the South Slave Regions. These bans are effective through September 15 and may be extended if necessary. They apply to the following communities and on the land:
North Slave:
• Behchokǫ
• Dettah
• Gamètı̀
• Łutselk’e
• N’dilǫ
• Wekweètı̀
• Whatı̀
• Yellowknife
South Slave:
• Enterprise
• Fort Providence
• Fort Resolution
• Fort Smith
• Hay River
• Kakisa
• Kátł’odeeche First Nation
These bans are being extended due to continued extreme wildfire danger and extraordinary weather conditions. These restrictions are intended to help protect communities, values at risk and our wildland firefighters by limiting avoidable person-caused fires.
Terms of fire ban – you may not:
• Start, tend, or use open fire outdoors, including in an open fire pit or burn barrel
• Discharge firearms with incendiary or tracer ammunition
• Shoot or detonate exploding targets
• Shoot fireworks or firecrackers
• Ignite sky lanterns
• Ignite signal flare devices or pyrotechnic bear bangers unless in an emergency situation
• Store flare devices, bear bangers, fireworks or firecrackers in a manner that may cause them to be ignited
• Burn permits are temporarily cancelled while the order is in effect
The use of closed stoves, barbeques, furnaces, or other devices suitable for containing fire may be used (including CSA or ULC approved gas and propane barbeques and fire pits).
The use of fire for exercising Aboriginal or treaty rights by Indigenous peoples, such as cooking, or hide-tanning, are exempt from these restrictions.
Highway 1 will close Friday, September 1, 7:00pm
Department of Infrastructure, working with the Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Emergency Management Organization, will be closing Highway 1 from the Alberta border to Kakisa access road km 187, at 7:00pm Friday, September 1. GNWT staff will continue to monitor the situation closely on our highways and will provide updates on when the Highway can safely reopen.
High winds are anticipated to accelerate fires toward and along Highway 1 this weekend.
Highway 1 is currently open to essential travel but will close at 7:00pm today.
Residents should be aware that conditions can change quickly with little to no warning.
Travel is highly discouraged during this time.
Other highways are impacted by wildfires:
Please check the NWT Highway Conditions Map for the latest updates: https://www.dot.gov.nt.ca/Highways
The Evacuee Income Disruption Support (EIDS) program assists NWT residents who have lost employment income during extended evacuation periods. It provides financial support to adults 17+ whose employment has been disrupted by an evacuation lasting more than seven days. Eligible residents will receive a one-time payment of $750.
Previously, residents were only eligible for the EIDS program if they did not receive any financial support from their employer. The eligibility criteria have been updated so that funding is available to all residents 17 and older who lost income due to evacuation, regardless of whether they received financial support from their employer.
Residents can apply for the Evacuee Income Disruption Support program online or by downloading an application form:
• Apply Online
• Download the Evacuee Income Disruption Support program application
Completed applications can be sent to EIDS@gov.nt.ca.
NWT residents are being advised to expect limited services at the time of Yellowknife re-entry as the health and social services system ramps-up services. At the current time almost all health services in Yellowknife are suspended, except for basic emergency department care. Reinstating services will take time with a focus initially on life-sustaining services, although our goal will be to return to pre-evacuation service levels as quickly and as safely as we are able.
When the Yellowknife evacuation order ends and the initial public return to the community begins; the following services are anticipated to be available, pending confirmation of appropriate levels of qualified staff:
Stanton Territorial Hospital:
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Routine emergency department services.
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In-patient acute care at reduced capacity (currently planning for 10 general inpatient beds).
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Emergency surgical services (life-threatening).
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Emergency obstetrics for unexpected obstetrical care needs (to be managed in the emergency department in the first phase of resumption).
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Support services including lab, diagnostic imaging, medical device reprocessing, and materials management, and certain facility services.
Yellowknife Region Health and Social services and programs – limited community services:
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Primary care may only be open for limited walk-in appointments,
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Mental Health will provide virtual services and limited in-person services,
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Public Health will be closed but begin to schedule urgent and missed appointments,
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Child and Family services will provide logistical and support for clients’ re-entry (i.e. Foster families, and NGO’s) as well as emergency child protection service
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Home care services will be reduced. Staff will be contacting existing clients to discuss what services they can be offered
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Shelter services will be available as of the date of general public re-entry, but may be limited until staffing stabilizes.
At service resumption – when the broader community returns – the following services WILL NOT be available:
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Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services: If you become critically ill, you will likely require a medevac out of territory.
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Routine obstetrical services will not be available. Emergency obstetrical services with limited capacity will be available. Individuals who are 33 weeks or less at the time when the public evacuation order is lifted, and who do not have significant pregnancy complications, may return. Those who are currently 33 weeks or more will be contacted directly with instructions on accessing ongoing care. Be aware obstetrical services will remain limited in the first 7-14 days after public re-entry.
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Chemotherapy, dialysis and IV therapy will not be available. .For the time being anyone accessing these services should continue to receive care in their current location and not return. Further updates will be provided directly by your NWT care team.
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Surgical services: limited emergency services may be available but if you require urgent surgery, you may require medevac.
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Pediatric admissions: children requiring admission to hospital may require medevac to southern facilities.
More Information can be found here.
Court Services
All Territorial Court proceedings in all communities scheduled from August 16, 2023 and up to and including September 29, 2023 have been cancelled.
All Supreme Court proceedings in all communities scheduled from August 16, 2023 and up to and including September 22, 2023 have been cancelled.
Please consult the NWT Courts website for more information.
Monetary donations are being accepted by United Way NWT.
Get your Emergency Kit and essentials packed and ready.
Evacuee Registration Portal
The Evacuee Registration Portal is for NWT residents who need to evacuate—or be prepared to evacuate—due to an emergency or disaster. All residents who have been evacuated are asked to register themselves in the portal, even if you have also registered at an evacuation centre.
A public Facebook group is available to mark yourself safe from the 2023 wildfires in the NWT.
If you need to report a missing person, contact the RCMP at 867-669-1111.
Follow the latest emergency alerts here: https://nwtalert.ca/#/
- Download the Alertable emergency app
