Alta. Premier Danielle Smith, N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane tour Calgary evacuee centre

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her N.W.T. counterpart Caroline Cochrane toured Calgary's reception centre for wildfire evacuees and extended their thanks to everyone who is helping with the effort.

"We'd like to thank Albertans for opening their homes, businesses and hearts to our neighbours up north," Smith said. "Over the past week, we've gained 21,576 temporary residents and Albertans are very proud to help."

Since the centre was opened on Aug. 17, thousands of N.W.T. residents have made their way to the city for shelter and support.

According to the latest numbers, there are more than 2,700 N.W.T. residents staying in Calgary.

Cochrane said N.W.T. residents are going through some "really tough" times right now.

"Sixty-eight per cent of our population has been evacuated. Many of our people up north have never left the north -- they are not familiar with big cities," she said.

"The amount of people standing at the sides of roads, giving out gift cards, opening up their homes, handing out water, I can't express how much it meant to us."

WILDFIRE PROTECTIONS NEEDED

In addition to sharing her gratitude to Albertans, Cochrane also shared her thoughts about how climate change is affecting N.W.T.

"We've been facing climate issues for a long while," she said.

"These fires, I would love to say were a one-time event but I can't guarantee that."

She called on the federal government to help in the territory and come up with infrastructure that she and other N.W.T. leaders have been requesting for decades.

"When our community of Hay River started on fire, people were driving on our one road out with fire on both sides," she said. "Our communications went down, we had no redundancy.

"I couldn't get ahold of people to know if they were safe."

Cochrane said N.W.T. needs infrastructure that every other Canadian community has.

"I've been tired for a long time, asking for infrastructure, but now I'm angry."

ALBERTA WORKING WITH B.C.

The city is also helping a number of long-term care and obstetric patients from both N.W.T. and B.C., where wildfires are also raging.

Smith and Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis say they remain in contact with the B.C. government to offer whatever other assistance is needed.

"We have been preparing places in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and other areas in southern Alberta to take on any evacuees from British Columbia," Ellis said.

'We talk to British Columbia on a regular basis, but at this time, they are not requiring that assistance."

EVERYONE SHOULD EVACUATE, PREMIERS SAY

Both leaders said they'd heard of individuals who are staying behind in evacuated areas or attempting to push through blockades to get back to assist in the firefighting effort in their own ways.

Smith and Cochrane agreed that this sort of behaviour was unacceptable in the current circumstances.

"The people who should stay behind are the ones who should help with the fire fight," Smith said. "I think it's unwise to try and tempt fate that way."

Cochrane said anyone staying behind, no matter their intentions, puts undue strain on the crews who are tasked with battling the wildfires.

"Every single fire that we've had, there's always been people that stay behind, protecting their homes and protecting their communities. They put not only themselves at risk; they put our firefighters at risk.

"When the fire hits our community, our firefighters stop fighting the fire because then they have to focus on protecting those people."

WILDFIRE STILL OUTSIDE YELLOWKNIFE

In an update last night, the territorial government said it was unlikely the fire would reach the capital, Yellowknife, in the next 72 hours.

Officials say no significant advance was seen Thursday and the fire remains about 15 kilometres outside city limits.

They say today will put “significant” pressure on the perimeter of the fire closest to Yellowknife because of high temperatures, low moisture and brisk-to-heavy winds.

The Northwest Territories legislature is set to reconvene for one day Monday to deal with the fallout from the fire, including getting financial aid to residents.

(With files from the Canadian Press)