Confusion in Inuvik, N.W.T., over wildfire evacuation notice

There was a lot of confusion about how close Inuvik, N.W.T., was to evacuating Thursday as winds pushed a nearby wildfire closer, choking the town with smoke.

As of Friday evening, the town was on evacuation notice, meaning people should gather personal necessities and make a plan to leave in case they have to evacuate, said a spokesperson for N.W.T. Fire, the Northwest Territories' wildfire agency. It's not a call to leave just yet.

On Thursday afternoon, however, it wasn't clear whether such a notice had been issued or when.

Gwich'in Tribal Council Chief Ken Kyikavichik posted on Facebook that afternoon that the fire had moved five kilometres closer to town and was then 12 kilometres away. He said, as a precaution, people should gas up their vehicles, pack some light luggage, including important documents and keepsakes, and be ready to evacuate on short notice.

At 1:30 p.m. notice went out that a news conference about the signing of an offshore oil and gas exploration accord that was to occur an hour later was cancelled.

"There will be no speeches or media because of the wildfire," stated a notice from the federal minister of northern affairs.

Shortly after, Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai, who had flown to Inuvik to participate in the news conference, boarded a plane for Whitehorse. Vandal later told CBC News they left on the flight, which had been arranged to carry wildfire evacuees from Old Crow, Yukon, to Whitehorse, after hearing an evacuation alert may be issued for Inuvik.

"Both Premier Pillai and I made the decision that we should leave with the evacuees and make sure that they get out of harm's way," said Vandal.

In an interview shortly after, the Town of Inuvik's senior administrative officer Michael Trabysh said "the community is in absolutely no danger or threat whatsoever from this particular fire, other than heavy smoke."

Later the town issued a public advisory urging people to do much the same as Kyikavichik had recommended.

At a news conference in Yukon on Friday after the evacuees from Inuvik and the politicians traveling with them landed, Vuntut Gwitchin Chief Pauline Frost, speaking from Old Crow, said, "our thoughts and prayers are also with the Town of Inuvik, as they are also on evacuation alert."

That evening, N.W.T. Fire issued an update saying the fire is "not expected to reach Inuvik overnight," but people should gather important documents, medications and other necessities "out of an abundance of caution."

Terminology turmoil

On Friday, N.W.T. Fire acknowledged there was inconsistency in the labels for the different levels of evacuation preparedness.

It has now clarified the following three stages of evacuation preparedness:

• An "evacuation notice" means people should prepare to evacuate because of an increased risk.

• An "evacuation alert" means citizens have to be ready to evacuate on short notice.

• An "evacuation order" means there's an immediate danger and people need to leave as soon as they can.