With a little rain and a lot of hope, YK awaits a wildfire

With nearly 20,000 residents safely out of harm’s way, remaining people in Yellowknife are settling in to see whether the weekend brings a wildfire to the city limits.

The weather cooperated more than had been expected on Friday, holding open a vital window as the last residents who wanted to leave streamed out via the lone highway south or by airlift.

But a wildfire remains 15 kilometres west of the city and strong gusts forecast to push the fire east could still cause a critical situation.

Fire defences on Yellowknife’s western edge include huge fire breaks and sprinkler lines hastily constructed over the past week by contractors, firefighters and military personnel.

Watch footage and see images from Yellowknife on Friday as the people still in the city did everything they could to prepare for the possible onslaught.