Data released by the government of the Northwest Territories reveals a significant increase in evacuation orders over the past six years compared to the previous three decades. According to information obtained by CBC News from the N.W.T. Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), there were approximately 32 evacuation orders issued between 1990 and 2019, and an equal number between 2020 and 2026. These evacuations were predominantly triggered by wildfires, floods, and occasional emergencies such as the 2019 apartment fire in Hay River.
The evacuation orders were not limited to specific communities, with some affecting homes along highway stretches. The data also includes instances of partial evacuations, where neighborhoods had to relocate to different areas within the same town. Mike Flannigan, a wildland fire expert at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C., expressed surprise at the surge in evacuations and questioned whether all historical wildfire evacuations were accounted for in the data, given past tracking limitations.
While CBC News sought specific wildfire evacuation data from the federal government starting from 1980, it lacked a breakdown by decade. Nonetheless, Flannigan emphasized that the trend illustrated in the N.W.T. government data is evident, attributing the rise in evacuations to an increase in wildfires. He highlighted factors like a lengthening warm season leading to more lightning strikes, which are the primary cause of fires in the Northwest Territories.
Flannigan noted a change in wildfire behavior, with fires becoming more intense and harder to control, necessitating earlier evacuation calls as a precautionary measure. The data revealed that certain communities, notably Hay River and Kátł’odeeche First Nation, had to evacuate multiple times since 1990.
As for emergency management changes, CBC News attempted to interview MACA without success. Kevin Brezinski, formerly the N.W.T. director of public safety, commented on the heightened frequency and intensity of fires in recent years. He recalled facing floods and forest fires during his tenure, including the severe 2014 fire season, but noted a significant escalation in challenges since then.
Brezinski highlighted the substantial recovery costs detailed in the territory’s 2025 report, stemming from floods and fires since 2021. He remarked on the evolving role of emergency measures, now a primary focus due to the increased demand for such services. The history of evacuations in the Northwest Territories, though not as frequent as recent years, has been marked by notable events such as the 1995 fire near Tulita that nearly devastated the community.
Residents like Tulita’s Mayor Douglas Yallee and Norman Wells resident Shelley Melto shared their harrowing experiences during evacuations, emphasizing the emotional toll and lasting impact on affected communities. Melto’s story, along with the data trends, underscores the changing landscape of emergency evacuations in the Northwest Territories.
The surge in evacuations is mainly attributed to wildfires, exacerbated by climate change and altered fire behavior, prompting a shift in emergency management priorities to address the escalating challenges faced by the region.
