Residents of Hay River, N.W.T., allowed to return home starting Saturday

HAY RIVER, N.W.T. – Residents of Hay River, N.W.T., are being allowed to return home on Saturday.

Hay River’s 3,500 residents will be able to come home starting at 9 a.m., with the evacuation order for the town set to be downgraded to an evacuation alert.

Town officials say that thanks to containment efforts, the risk posed by the nearby wildfire is now at an acceptable level.

Essential workers were allowed to return to Hay River on Wednesday.

An evacuation order was issued for Hay River, as well as the nearby hamlet of Enterprise and K’atl’odeeche First Nation, on Aug. 13.

The First Nation says its members will be allowed to return home starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Re-entry plans for Enterprise were not immediately available.

Officials are warning evacuees returning to Hay River that health services will initially be limited and that schools will not be open at the beginning of the re-entry.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2023.