68 per cent of the Northwest Territories has been evacuated, as the exodus of residents continues to wind down in Yellowknife.
Light rainfall, alongside favourable winds in the last 24 hours has left some residents to question if a return is imminent.
“A little bit of rain does not mean it’s safe to come back home,” Minister of Environment and Climate Change Shane Thompson says. “All the fires in the north slave are burning deep in the forest, and although the surface may not show fire, it’s still active, and it’s huge,” he adds.
According to officials, there is no return date set for Yellowknife. Thompson says there are several criteria required before a return date is established, and the GNWT says they do not want people to return only to be sent back shortly after.
“We’re going to try to get people back as soon as we can but as safely as we can,” Thompson says.
Additionally, Thompson says the return of emergency responders is the number one priority, and a return for civilians cannot happen without this prerequisite.
