Thousands of people are being urged to leave a major city in Canada’s Northwest Territories as a huge wildfire approaches, writes Sky News.

Air evacuations for the most vulnerable are beginning on Thursday, and officials say there is a “safe window” for everyone else to leave Yellowknife by road. The capital has a population of 20,000 people - and without rain, forecasts suggest the wildfire could reach the city"s outskirts by the weekend.

Canada is enduring a record number of wildfires, with over 1,000 active blazes burning across more than 8,000 miles of the country. As of late last night, one of those fires is burning within 17km of Yellowknife. Authorities have warned that today it’s likely to reach Highway 3, the only main road connecting the city to the rest of Canada.

Residents have been given until noon on Friday to leave. The Territories have declared a state of emergency and the Canadian military has been mobilised to help tackle the blazes.