Evacuation Information

Evacuation notifications

An evacuation notification process has been put in place to ensure residents are well informed and evacuate safely. An Evacuation Notice, Alert or Order could be issued for one or multiple defined areas of the community, or for the entire community.

Note that emergency circumstances may not allow for a sequential, escalating level of communication. For example, an Evacuation Order could be issued without either an Evacuation Notice or Evacuation Alert being previously issued. Alternatively, an emergency may result in an Evacuation Alert being issued but may be resolved without a need for an Evacuation Order.

Leading up to an evacuation, the City will relay evacuation-related information via the City’s website, media releases, Facebook page, Emergency Email Notifications, as well as other methods as required. In the event that the internet is down, the City will post important updates (physical posters) at the entrance of City Hall and the Multiplex. Upon request and on an as-needed basis, the GNWT can also share information via the NWT Alert system. When seeking updates, always ensure to reference reliable sources. 

Levels of evacuation notifications

Evacuation Notice

• Indicates that an emergency event, such as a wildfire, may present an increased risk to your community and could endanger life and/or property
• Residents, businesses, organizations, and visitors should prepare for an evacuation

Evacuation Alert

• Indicates an emergency event is affecting a specific area and residents, businesses, organizations, and visitors must be prepared to evacuate immediately

Evacuation Order

• Residents, businesses, organizations, and visitors must evacuate immediately and follow all directives from the City of Yellowknife and/or the GNWT

All-Clear Notification

• Indicates that the emergency event is under control and the hazard area has been declared safe
• Residents, businesses, organizations, and visitors should closely monitor the City’s and/or the GNWT’s communication channels for updates

Importance of following Evacuation Orders

In order to protect our community as effectively and efficiently as possible in the face of wildfires, it is crucial that all residents respect Evacuation Orders. Below is a list of challenges that arise when residents do not follow Evacuation Orders:

• The efficiency of first responders is reduced when residents inhabit areas that require immediate emergency actions.
• Resources like food are limited during an evacuation and should be reserved for critical staff who have stayed behind to protect our community.
• First responders will be focused on fire mitigation and will have no capacity to respond to emergencies that are unrelated to critical staff or fire operations. Non-critical staff who fail to respect an issued Evacuation Order assume all risk.
• General healthcare services are also limited following an Evacuation Order. Non-critical staff who stay behind could potentially put further strain on the system. 

Getting updates

For information on how to get important updates before, during and post-wildfire season, review the section on how to stay informed on our website.

Evacuation Plan

The City of Yellowknife has an Evacuation Plan that was developed as a companion document to the Community Emergency Plan.

More information on emergency preparedness, including the NWT Emergency Management Act and 2024 NWT Emergency Plan are available on the GNWT’s website.

After Action  Assessment 

Following the 2023 wildfire season, KPMG was hired by the City of Yellowknife to conduct an After Action Assessment of the City’s emergency response to identify what worked well, what could be improved and best practices for community emergency management. During this process, proven techniques for emergency response preparedness and planning were drawn upon from partners, stakeholders and other Canadian communities, and feedback was solicited from residents. The City will use the findings from the After Action Assessment to inform emergency planning and response work moving forward.

The After Action Assessment was presented to Council in July 2024. The final report can be found here. 

The City of Yellowknife will determine the critical staff and services necessary to effectively manage the planning and operations of an emergency. The City will advise residents on whether volunteers are being recruited at the time of the emergency.

If you have not already been through an evacuation, you might be wondering what happens before, during and after an Evacuation Order is issued. The content below provides a general idea of what to expect, keeping in mind that protocols and procedures will vary from year to year depending on the nature of the wildfire event and the resources available.

Accommodations

Immediately following the issuing of an Evacuation Notice, you should prepare to support yourself and your family for at least the first 72 hours. While local towns and cities in neighbouring provinces or territories may be called upon to provide accommodations for Yellowknife residents, their capacity to provide this service is not guaranteed.

Depending on the hosting town or city, you may be provided with a cot within an Evacuation Centre. In this situation you would be sleeping in an open area with other evacuees. Some hosting cities may offer accommodations in hotels or cabins. Evacuees will be assigned their accommodations based on availability. 

Meals

Depending on capacity and resources, some Evacuation Centres may provide food for evacuees free of charge, while others may not. Food may be provided in the form of grocery vouchers, meals at the hotel restaurant, or food vouchers to nearby businesses. People who have found accommodations on their own or have registered at an Evacuation Centre that does not provide food would likely need to pay for their meals out of pocket. 

Expenses and reimbursements 

It is inevitable that unexpected costs will incur while you are evacuated, especially if residents are evacuated for a long period of time. Unfortunately in most cases, regular expenses like paying rent, utilities and property taxes will continue, despite being evacuated.

Expenses while evacuated could include:

• Gas
• Car incidentals
• Food
• Items left behind (toiletries, clothes)
• Laundry
• Pet supplies
• Entertainment

Keep your receipts from the expenses incurred while evacuated in case you are eligible for reimbursements. Review your tenant or home insurance plan to determine your coverage for emergency events and stay informed of potential opportunities for relief funding offered by the GNWT.  

Returning home

After a wildfire has been deemed under control, it may take some time before the general public is permitted to return. Residents can only return home once an All-Clear Notification has been issued. Note that businesses and services may not be fully operational immediately upon your return.