Evacuees of the devastating wildfires in Hay River, N.W.T. will have to wait until next week to discover when they might be able to return home. Despite re-entry commencing for the territorial capital of Yellowknife on Wednesday, no such reprieve is in sight for the thousands of displaced residents from Hay River and Fort Smith.
The south shore of Great Slave Lake and areas near the Alberta boundary have remained inaccessible since the emergency evacuation was ordered. After approving the re-entry plan on Friday, the Hay River council will set a definitive return date after monitoring the weekend’s forecast of hot, dry conditions.
The decision on lifting the evacuation order hinges on a conclusion of safety from several key figures. The town council, the emergency coordinator, the wildfire incident commander, and other authorities must determine if it is safe for residents to return.
Mayor Kandis Jameson optimistically remarked that, provided the conditions permit, residents could be home within 10 days. Staying vigilant about safety concerns, she emphasized that no one should return until they could do so without risk.
Re-entry is wrapped in several caveats. Notably, the wildfire is predicted to stay active throughout the fall, and unpredictable weather conditions could exacerbate its severity. As such, essential service workers will be first to return, tasked with managing the wildfire and reopening the community.
Subsequently, only residents of untouched areas will be allowed back. If their areas have been damaged by the fire or if they’ve lost essential utilities, a higher degree of patience will be demanded. The same goes for residents with specific health needs, who must remain evacuated until community health services are fully operational.
Predicting the weekend as a crucial period, wildfire information officer Mike Westwick praised the progress made thus far. The prospective warm, dry, windy conditions could place their defenses under significant pressure, a trial they are prepared to endure to ensure safe future return.
Firefighting staff and equipment will dutifully monitor and control the risk until the wildfire is under control. A warning of a potential future evacuation notice was also issued, in case of an active fire erupting in the area.
Collected data from drone flights give information about hot spots, an indication of the fire’s proximity to populated areas. At its nearest, the fire was merely 500 meters away from the hospital.
The evacuation order, administered on August 13, affected 3,500 Hay River residents. Yellowknife’s 20,000 residents were ordered to evacuate three days later. Fortunately, the fire threatened but did not infiltrate the city.
Mayor Jameson urges those returning to brace themselves for the arduous sight of their altered hometowns. The looming devastation may weigh heavily on residents, requiring mental preparation before reentering their transformed communities.
