Yellowknife faded into a ghost town in the face of looming wildfires Friday as the mayor of the territorial capital urged residents to leave.

SA国际影视传媒淕rocery stores arenSA国际影视传媒檛 open. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 no services here in town. The smokeSA国际影视传媒檚 going to get thick, so really encouraging folks (to) head out now,SA国际影视传媒� Rebecca Alty told CBC News Friday morning, urging residents to ignore unfounded rumours of looting.

SA国际影视传媒� are patrolling the neighbourhoods,SA国际影视传媒� she told the network.

SA国际影视传媒淭here is no looting. Your homes are safe. YouSA国际影视传媒檝e gotta lock up and head out of town.SA国际影视传媒�

Thousands of residents in the city of 20,000 continued to leave by air or road Friday. The goal is to get everyone out should the fire, about 15 kilometres from the citySA国际影视传媒檚 outskirts, advance and cut off access.

Officials said roads would stay open and flights would continue past the noon deadline as long as it is safe.

Once-busy streets were emptied, with stores and businesses closed.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a ghost town,SA国际影视传媒� said Kieron Testart, who was going door-to-door in the nearby communities of Dettah and NDilo on a cold, smoky and windy morning to check on people.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is kind of the D-Day for the fire effort. If itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to get bad, itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to get bad today.SA国际影视传媒�

In Yellowknife, gas stations SA国际影视传媒� if they had fuel SA国际影视传媒� were still operating as of Friday morning. One grocery store and a pharmacy remained open SA国际影视传媒� as did a bar, where exhausted workers were gathering at the end of long shifts.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 kind of like having a pint at the end of the world,SA国际影视传媒� Testart said.

People are clearing out for the most part, he said, although some First Nations people have chosen to take shelter in cabins or camps out on the land.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur members know the land better than anyone else,SA国际影视传媒� Testart said. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e confident theySA国际影视传媒檒l be safe out there.SA国际影视传媒�

Fire information officer Mike Westwick said workers continued to battle the flames.

Eleven air tankers were flying, with another plane dropping fire retardant. A 10-kilometre fire line had been dug, backed up by 20 kilometres of hose and a plethora of pumps SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渢he most extensive heavy water operation weSA国际影视传媒檝e ever seen in the territory,SA国际影视传媒� Westwick said.

However, winds from the north and northwest were predicted for both Friday and Saturday, threatening to wreak havoc.

Hoped-for rain didnSA国际影视传媒檛 materialize overnight, with a scant millimetre falling.

SA国际影视传媒淏oth of those winds would push the fires in directions we donSA国际影视传媒檛 want them to go,SA国际影视传媒� Westwick said.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e still got some really difficult days ahead. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 no denying that.SA国际影视传媒�

The evacuation of Yellowknife was ordered late Wednesday, and sprinklers, water cannons and fire guards were set up.

On Thursday, in addition to commercial planes, about 1,500 people left on evacuation flights.

Officials said more flights were scheduled for Friday that could take about 1,800 people out of the city.

Federal Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez told reporters the government is working with all airlines to add extra flights.

SA国际影视传媒淎ir Canada added more flights, WestJet, Canadian North SA国际影视传媒� the Armed Forces. We will make sure we add as many planes as we can working with those airlines,SA国际影视传媒� said Rodriguez.

The federal government is also contracting with private aircraft to supplement the military effort. Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said he canSA国际影视传媒檛 say how many people have been safely evacuated, but the process has been going well.

The Canadian Armed Forces said a Hercules transport plane flew 79 people to Edmonton on Thursday and more flights were set for Friday.

In Calgary, officials said they took in more than 1,200 evacuees on 14 evacuee flights from N.W.T. on Thursday.

Another 26 flights were expected Friday carrying about 2,300.

The city said 495 hotel rooms have been provided to evacuees so far.

On the ground, the main highway out of Yellowknife was reported as having steady, orderly convoys of vehicles headed for evacuation centres in various parts of Alberta.

Several other communities in the territory, including the town of Hay River, ordered residents out within the past week.

Hay River resident Etienne Cumlepen and his Rottweiler Axel were staying in Peace River, Alta., about 490 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Cumlepen, who moved from South Africa in the late 1990s, builds winter roads in the N.W.T. for a living to help get supplies to remote communities. He was working in Alberta when the evacuation of his town was ordered on Sunday.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e stuck here and weSA国际影视传媒檙e not sure when weSA国际影视传媒檙e able to go back, or what we will find when we go back,SA国际影视传媒� he said Friday.

Cumlepen said the disaster highlights the need to take care of the environment.

SA国际影视传媒淥therwise, it will kick us in the butt in the long run,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an expense that a lot of people canSA国际影视传媒檛 afford.SA国际影视传媒�

There were 236 fires burning in the territory, which was not alone dealing with a fire crisis Friday.

In Kelowna, B.C., a state of emergency was declared as the citySA国际影视传媒檚 airport was shut down and thousands more West Kelowna residents were ordered to leave their homes in the face of a fast-burning wildfire roaring through the surrounding hills.

Wildfire smoke from Western Canada and the N.WT. has drifted as far east as Ontario, creating hazardous air quality in the north.

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