Amid concerns of an approaching wildfire, one of Canada's northernmost major cities is in the process of evacuation. The capital of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, home to 20,000 residents, has been instructed to leave by Friday at noon (18:00 GMT).

The wildfire, as of Wednesday evening, was just 17km (11 miles) away from the city.

Additionally, another fire poses a threat to Hay River, another community. An evacuee recounted her harrowing experience of driving through embers as her car began to melt during their escape, highlighting the danger.

With over 200 wildfires, the Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency on Tuesday. Shane Thompson, the environment minister for the region, expressed in a press conference on Wednesday that the situation with the fires had worsened and was now posing a genuine risk to Yellowknife.

"I want to stress that the city is not in immediate danger," he said. "[But] without rain, it is possible [the fire] will reach the city outskirts by the weekend."

"You put yourself and others at risk if you choose to stay."

Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson estimated that about 500 people were still in the community of some 3,500 people as of Tuesday despite an evacuation notice issued for the town over the weekend.

The fire moved 30km in a few hours because of strong winds earlier this week, closing the only two highways out of the town.

The road out of Hay River is "treacherous", the mayor said, and food and petrol supplies are getting low in the town.

Phone and internet services have also been down in the remote region.

Resident Lisa Mundy described how her bumper had begun to melt, her windscreen had cracked and her car had filled with smoke as she and her husband left the town with their two children on Sunday.

"You couldn't see anything — we were driving through embers," she said.

"[My six-year-old son] actually said to me, 'I don't want to die, mommy,' and he kept saying it so many times."

Canada's military has been co-ordinating airlift operations out of several communities in Northwest Territories' South Slave Region that have been threatened by wildfires in recent days.

It is the largest airlift evacuation effort in the territory's history.

Most evacuees have been brought south to the neighboring province of Alberta, with no indication as to when they will be able to return home.

Fort Smith, K'atl'odeeche First Nation, Hay River, Enterprise and Jean Marie River are all under evacuation orders.

Enterprise, home to 120 people, is "90% gone" after a wildfire swept through this week, the community's mayor told the CBC on Tuesday.

Canada is having its worst wildfire season on record, with nearly 1,100 active fires burning across the country as of Wednesday.

Experts have pointed to a warmer and drier spring than normal as the reason.

Scientists say climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.

What a tragedy, may God help the people out.

Too bad

Too bad