Wildfire nears capital of Canada's Northwest Territories as thousands flee

A wildfire was moving closer the capital of Canada's Northwest Territories Friday as residents fled, rushing to beat a noon deadline to evacuate the city of 20,000.

Half of the population in the Northwest Territories has been already displaced by the fires, BBC News reported, citing a Friday federal update. 

"These fires are very active and very unpredictable," Harjit Sajjan, Canada's minister of emergency preparedness, said at a news conference Friday, according to the BBC. He said the government does not know the extent of the current damage.