As we’ve been reporting, a wildfire is fast approaching the small city of Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Authorities have ordered the approximately 20,000 people who call Yellowknife home to evacuate, encouraging carpooling to reduce congestion on the roads out of town.

Evacuation flights are departing throughout the day for those who are not driving to safety, and there have been reports of long lines at petrol stations in the city and on the road out of town.

As of yesterday, a fire was approximately 15km (9 miles) from the city’s edge, and it’s estimated fire could reach the outskirts of town by tomorrow.

“Very tough days ahead – with two days of northwest to west-northwest winds on Friday and Saturday, which would push fire towards Yellowknife,” the territorial fire service said in a statement on Facebook.