SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Emergency vehicles in Yellowknife have fuel reserves to last them through the fuel shortage, but private vehicle owners and industry will need to find their own solutions.

"The only option until the ferry comes in would be to airlift some fuel for the short term," said Mike Aumond, assistant deputy minister for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. "We will be talking to gasoline suppliers over the next day or two to see whether they can take steps to bring gasoline into the city."

A fuel airlift, he said, would be the responsibility of private industry.

Meanwhile, the RCMP told Yellowknifer it has an arranged fuel reserve for their vehicles with a private supplier. Private industry still has large reserves of diesel and home heating fuel.

"We have lots," said a spokesperson for Matonabee Petroleum, a distributor for Petro-Canada.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem confirmed the city maintains its own supplies of diesel and gasoline. Adding that its emergency response vehicles run on diesel, for which there isn't a shortage.

The mayor added that propane distributors began airlifting in propane on Monday night to avert a shortage.

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