Ottawa, Aug 16 : The government of Canada’s Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in response to out-of-control wildfires in the territory.

The state of emergency allows the territorial government to deploy the resources to manage the unprecedented wildfire season and protect the health and safety of residents, the government of the Northwest Territories said in a press release.

According to the release, the wildfire situation in the South Slave and North Slave regions is rapidly evolving, and the needs on the ground are changing quickly. Fort Smith and Hay River remain at risk due to wildfires burning in the South Slave region. Yellowknife is also at an increased risk due to a wildfire approaching from the west.

On Monday night, Yellowknife, the territory’s capital city, declared a state of local emergency due to surrounding wildfires.

The government of the Northwest Territories issued warnings on Monday advising residents to evacuate from areas close to wildfires.

The Northwest Territories is experiencing the worst wildfire season on record, leading to widespread evacuations, loss of personal property and damage to critical infrastructure.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, there were 1,071 active forest fires in Canada as of Tuesday night, 238 of which were in the Northwest Territories, second only to British Columbia’s 368.

Public Safety Canada issued a press release on Tuesday night confirming that the federal government is assisting the Northwest Territories in response to wildfires and that the Canadian military was deployed to assist firefighting efforts.

In Canada, emergencies are initially handled at the municipal level. Municipal authorities can seek support from their respective province or territory if further assistance is needed. Public Safety Canada said that if it escalates, the territory can request aid from the federal government.