Wildfire nears capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories

There are hundreds of wildfires burning across Canada as residents begin to evacuate threatened towns and cities (Joe O’Connal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Residents in the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories were rushing to beat a deadline to evacuate their homes on Friday as one of hundreds of wildfires raging in the territories moved closer to the city of 20,000 people.

Thousands fled on Thursday, driving hundreds of miles to safety or waiting in long lines for emergency flights, as the worst fire season on record in Canada showed no signs of easing.