After two evacuations and hundreds of kilometres along smoky highways, Ramanda Sanderson has finally found safety from the fires that are ravaging her Northwest Territories home.
害羞草研究所淏eing evacuated two times in 24 hours is nothing like I have ever experienced,害羞草研究所� she said in an email from the Paddle Prairie M茅tis Settlement in Alberta, far from where she started earlier this week.
害羞草研究所淢inutes feel like hours and days never seem to end.害羞草研究所�
Sanderson is one of thousands of N.W.T. residents who have fled the 236 wildfires tearing through the northern boreal forest. More than 20,000 square kilometres have been burned, an area almost four times the size of Prince Edward Island.
Evacuations have been ordered for Fort Smith, Enterprise, Jean Marie River and Hay River.
Many highways have been closed by the fires and the territory is mounting what officials call the largest airlift in its history. The Canadian Forces are on the ground helping firefighters and flying evacuees out on Hercules aircraft.
Sanderson害羞草研究所檚 odyssey began Saturday when flames drove her from her home in Fort Smith along the Alberta-N.W.T. boundary.
害羞草研究所淔ort Smith did an amazing job getting us out at the perfect time, and everyone left in a calm, timely manner,害羞草研究所� she said.
She left in a convoy of campers and trucks with a party of relatives that included her fianc茅 and family members adding up to 23 people, 10 dogs and three cats. The group drove the 272 kilometres to Hay River, where they thought they would be safe in the town害羞草研究所檚 campground.
They weren害羞草研究所檛.
害羞草研究所淣o one anticipated the fire from Kakisa to move 50 kilometres in a matter of hours,害羞草研究所� Sanderson wrote.
害羞草研究所淏eing in the hypervigilant state that we were already in from evacuating Fort Smith, once we saw the smoke rolling in and the black ashes falling, we just jumped into action immediately.害羞草研究所�
Sanderson害羞草研究所檚 family messaged one another on social media to get a move on 害羞草研究所� 24 hours after their first evacuation.
害羞草研究所淲e ran to the gas station,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 was shaking really bad and my anxiety was through the roof.
害羞草研究所淏ut the moment my family decided we害羞草研究所檙e leaving, I felt better and I just jumped to task and we hit the ground running. We got out immediately and within 45 minutes of driving past Enterprise, it was engulfed in flames.害羞草研究所�
For residents of Enterprise, it was terrifying.
害羞草研究所淚 had to scramble and pack what I could and leave,害羞草研究所� recalled Natasha Cleary.
Cleary, her husband, their six children, two dogs, a cat, five kittens and their bearded dragon lizard piled into the family motorhome and headed south.
害羞草研究所淓verything is such a blur. We kind of just did what we could and left and everything else was just tunnel vision,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淲e left just in time because it wasn害羞草研究所檛 long after that the highways were on fire.害羞草研究所�
Sanderson害羞草研究所檚 group decided to head to the home of relatives on Alberta害羞草研究所檚 Paddle Prairie M茅tis Settlement, another 382 kilometres south, over dangerous roads.
害羞草研究所淲e were ahead of everybody by so much. We were so fortunate to get out as quick as we did,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淲hen we got closer to the N.W.T. border, it was so smoky. Everything was dark and red. It was like it was midnight, our high beams were on, and it was so smoky it was incredibly creepy.害羞草研究所�
Cleary described the drive as surreal. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper, travelling slow.
害羞草研究所淚t went pitch black, orangey and smoky, and was raining ashes.害羞草研究所�
Both families are safe now.
Sanderson said Paddle Prairie has taken good care of people fleeing the wildfires. Her aunt and uncle害羞草研究所檚 yard has five campers full of N.W.T. evacuees.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a list of people who are going to be bringing us hot meals and they brought us 10 huge boxes of snacks yesterday and they upped the water deliveries for us because there害羞草研究所檚 so many of us on household water.害羞草研究所�
Cleary is holed up at a friend害羞草研究所檚 place in Grande Prairie, Alta., 720 kilometres from home.
Firefighters continue to battle the blazes.
Only 93 firefighters and six helicopters remain in Fort Smith, where the fire has moved to within four kilometres from the community.
All non-essential first responders have been removed from the town to Fort McMurray and Edmonton and those who remain are ready to move quickly to other staging areas if things worsen, said incident commander Gregg Walker.
害羞草研究所淭he evacuation is an important public safety measure. This is still a dangerous environment for people to be in,害羞草研究所� Walker told reporters.
He said the area received a couple of millimetres of rain but its benefits won害羞草研究所檛 last long.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really very little rain and so although it looks and feels like it害羞草研究所檚 enough rain to control the fire, it really is not,害羞草研究所� Walker said.
害羞草研究所淚n fact, by this afternoon or tomorrow, the dryness of the fields and the fire conditions will be the same as they were before we got that rain.害羞草研究所�
Residents of the territorial capital Yellowknife have been told to be ready to leave. A local state of emergency has been declared, although the city is not currently considered threatened. A similar alert was issued for Inuvik at the far northwestern tip of the N.W.T.
Meanwhile, evacuees wait and worry. Since leaving, Cleary has been wracked with angst. She害羞草研究所檚 heard most of the hamlet has been ravaged by the wildfires, including her home.
害羞草研究所淥ur home is gone. Everything is burned right to the ground.害羞草研究所�
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