Trudeau to convene N.W.T. wildfires meeting amid territorial emergency, evacuation orders

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will convene a meeting to discuss the wildfire crisis in Northwest Territories, following the mass evacuation of areas including the capital of Yellowknife.

The time of the meeting of the Incident Response Group has not been disclosed.

Earlier this week, Trudeau spoke with the premier of the Northwest Territories, Caroline Cochrane, to discuss the territorial state of emergency and evacuation orders in place for Fort Smith, Enterprise, Jean Marie River, Hay River, K’atl’odeeche First Nation and the surrounding areas, as well as Yellowknife.

According to Government of Canada reports, there are over 230 wildfires burning in the Northwest Territories, and thousands of residents have fled their homes. Up to 20,000 square kilometres have burned.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Check back for more information.

For more information about evacuation orders, visit the territory’s website.