Editing Yellowknife (section)

===2023 wildfire===
{{Main|2023 Canadian wildfires#Northwest Territories}}

On 16 August 2023, the territorial government began evacuating Yellowknife as [[wildfire]]s approached the city,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.nt.ca/sites/flagship/files/resources/evacuation_order_yellowknife_and_area_august_16_2023.pdf|title=Evacuation Order for Yellowknife, N'dilo, Dettah, and Ingraham Trail|publisher=[[Politics of the Northwest Territories|Government of Northwest Territories]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822105952/https://www.gov.nt.ca/sites/flagship/files/resources/evacuation_order_yellowknife_and_area_august_16_2023.pdf|archive-date=2023-08-22}}</ref> fearing that the [[Yellowknife Highway]] (Highway 3)—the main road leading into Yellowknife—would soon be inaccessible.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-wildfire-emergency-update-august-16-1.6938756|title=Yellowknife begins evacuation as wildfires approach|last=Minogue|first=Sara|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=16 August 2023|access-date=17 August 2023}}</ref> The government also worked with homeless residents to assist them in evacuating.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City of Yellowknife ordered to evacuate due to nearby N.W.T. wildfires {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9901527/yellowknife-evacuation-order-wildfires/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Air Canada]] and [[WestJet]] were initially criticized for high prices and unwaived cancellation fees for flights to and from Yellowknife, but they have since changed policies to alleviate financial burden for evacuees. Both carriers also increased the number of flights to Yellowknife.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Sophia |date=August 17, 2023 |title=WestJet, Air Canada face criticism over Yellowknife flights as wildfires rage |work=CBC.ca |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/westjet-air-canada-wildfire-yellowknife-1.6939525 |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref>

The smoke from the [[2023 Canadian wildfires#Northwest Territories|236 active wildfires in the Northwest Territories]] spread quickly across Canada due to powerful winds and was compared by news sources to the [[2023 Hawaii wildfires]], which similarly started in a dry and windy environment. {{As of|2023|8|17}}, the fire was {{cvt|162,936|ha}} in size, at {{cvt|16|km}} distance from the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wildfire Update |url=https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817170435/https://www.gov.nt.ca/ecc/en/services/wildfire-update |archive-date=2023-08-17 |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=www.gov.nt.ca |publisher=[[Environment and Climate Change Canada]] |language=en}}</ref>

On 19 August 2023, 87 percent of the city was evacuated as of 6:58 am (ET), with only 2,600 of the original 20,000 remaining, 1,000 of whom were essential workers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graveland |first=Bill |title='Most of the people are now gone': Yellowknife nearly emptied as fire fight continues |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/most-of-the-people-are-now-gone-yellowknife-nearly-emptied-as-fire-fight-continues-1.6526012 |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=cp24 |language=en}}</ref> NWT Premier [[Caroline Cochrane]] announced that she had evacuated to Alberta to avoid taking up a space on one of the last planes to leave.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carroll |first=Luke |date=August 19, 2023 |title=Patient dies during evacuation of Yellowknife hospital |work=[[CBC.ca]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/nwt-wildfire-update-1.6941729 |access-date=August 20, 2023}}</ref>

The evacuation order was rescinded 6 September and Yellowknife residents began to return later that day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-thousands-begin-journey-home-as-yellowknife-evacuation-order-scheduled/ |title=Evacuation order lifted for Yellowknife after three weeks of wildfire danger|date=6 September 2023|access-date=9 September 2023|publisher=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref> An estimated 1,000 people had been flown home by September 8.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/thousands-of-residents-return-to-yellowknife-but-many-still-out-in-other-communities/article_aacb7bb7-7793-52b0-bb15-9d8786a2c0a5.html |title=Thousands of residents return to Yellowknife, but many still out in other communities|date=7 September 2023|access-date=9 September 2023|publisher=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref>