©NWT Fire

Residents of Fort Simpson, N.W.T., have been ordered to evacuate due to a nearby wildfire. The Village of Fort Simpson issued the evacuation order at 7:10 p.m. MT on Sunday. Residents are advised to head for Yellowknife. …An evacuation alert was issued Friday evening warning people to be prepared to leave on short notice, after a fire was detected about 10 kilometres from Fort Simpson’s airport. As of Sunday, the fire was about seven kilometres away. A fire information officer told CBC News the fire is not expected to reach the community overnight. The Village of Fort Simpson also declared a local state of emergency on Sunday evening. It said on Facebook that gas stations will remain open 24/7… The community of about 1,300 is approximately 600 kilometres, or a 7-hour drive, from Yellowknife, and requires crossing a ferry at the Liard River. …the ferry is running 24 hours so people can drive out.