The town of Hay River is SA国际影视传媒渋n much better conditionSA国际影视传媒� than anyone could have imagined only a day earlier when high winds and hot temperatures propelled the blaze close to its boundaries and forced fire crews and other non-essential workers to retreat, the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 mayor said Saturday.

In a statement posted online, Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson said she and her dogs, along with soldiers and many fire support services workers, left her community on a Hercules transport aircraft bound for Edmonton on Friday night.

Jameson said the departure took place under SA国际影视传媒済rim circumstances,SA国际影视传媒� but upon waking Saturday morning she said she found the town came through in much better condition than anyone expected.

SA国际影视传媒淔ire crews from over a dozen other communities with our own Hay River Fire Department completed drills day after day when time permitted to be ready for last night and the days to come,SA国际影视传媒� Jameson said in her statement. SA国际影视传媒淲e thank them and their immediate local support contractors who stood their ground last night to fight for our community.SA国际影视传媒�

The territorySA国际影视传媒檚 government said late Friday night that neither Hay RiverSA国际影视传媒檚 town centre nor any of the most populated residential neighborhoods have been damaged, although it noted there was likely structure loss to the west of town close to Great Slave Lake.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who met with territorial Premier Caroline Cochrane in Edmonton on Saturday, said the federal government will help the territory long-term with building more resilient infrastructure, supporting people living in the North and planning for climate change.

Cochrane, who voiced anger toward Ottawa on Friday over the fact the wildfire-ravaged region doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 have the same services as the South, thanked the feds on Saturday for recent help from the military, which has provided logistical support with the wildfire fight.

SA国际影视传媒淎gain, we couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have done it without the federal government. We havenSA国际影视传媒檛 done this before, so huge gratitude for the support the federal governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 given to date,SA国际影视传媒� Cochrane said moments before her closed-door meeting with Trudeau.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檒l address the infrastructure gaps later.SA国际影视传媒�

Trudeau said the federal government will continue to provide supports for the Northwest Territories. He noted that Cochrane was among the last evacuees out of Yellowknife and commended her for her leadership.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou were helping people right up to the very last moment and what you are doing now in being absolutely focused on them is true to the person you are and true to the leader you are,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

About two-thirds of the 45,000 people who call the N.W.T. home have left for evacuation centres, campgrounds and hotels as far south as Calgary and as far east as Winnipeg.

It has been more than a week since Yellowknife residents were ordered to leave the territorial capital, while the nearby wildfire has been kept at bay 15 kilometres from city limits.

An update from NWT Fire said temperatures were cooler on Saturday than the day before but were still above seasonal averages, keeping fire danger high for Yellowknife.

It said the fire remained 15 km away from the capital at its nearest point.

The Canadian Press