MONTREAL, Aug 15 (AFP) - Jordan Evoy's escape from wildfires raging in Canada's far north was the "scariest moment" of his life as flareups closed roads, forcing him to backtrack to catch a military flight out in the Northwest Territories' largest-ever evacuation.

Hundreds of people were airlifted to safety from remote villages overnight into Tuesday (Aug 15), after Yellowknife, the largest city in the region, declared an emergency.

For many in smaller communities, it was the second time in recent months that residents were forced to leave their homes.

With several roads to the south closed after being engulfed by flames, a ride aboard military aircrafts - deployed along with 120 soldiers to beat back the blazes - was the only means of escape.

On Tuesday evening, Northwest Territories authorities declared a state of emergency, citing a rapidly changing situation and shifting needs on the ground.

"We find ourselves in a crisis situation and our government is using every tool available to assist," said Shane Thompson, territorial environment minister.

Evoy, a resident of Fort Smith, told AFP he had tried to drive south to Alberta province, but had to turn back and heed officials' pleas to immediately go to the airport, warning that the "safest way out is on a plane".

"The highway was engulfed in flames and smoked out," the 28-year-old said, describing his panicked bolt to safety over land as "the scariest moment of my life".

"The forest fire crossed the highway, I couldn't see anything in front of me," he said.

"Flames were jumping over my truck" and he said he worried its tires would melt in the heat. "The asphalt was on fire."

All along the route there were many abandoned and charred vehicles.

"There was no cell service, so I had no way of knowing where I was," said Evoy.

Eventually he made his way back to Hay River and caught a military flight to Fort McMurray, Alberta.

"My heart breaks for the people of the Northwest Territories, who are dealing with devastating wildfires," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Several towns and Indigenous communities were under evacuation orders - displacing 15 per cent of the territory's population or about 6,000 people - while firefighters in some areas were forced to pull back as strong winds stoked the flames.