Fort Smith returns home after 5-week evacuation; 5 flights scheduled for Monday

As of 8 a.m. this morning, residents of Fort Smith, N.W.T., could return home after an evacuation spanning more than five weeks. 

Highways 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are open and the territorial government has five flights scheduled to bring people back to Fort Smith Monday.

Jay Boast, a spokesperson for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, said in an email flights would bring evacuees back from Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, High Level, Edmonton and Calgary. Anyone concerned about getting on a plane should email disasterassistance@gov.nt.ca.

The town evacuated on Aug. 12 as a nearby wildfire threatened the only road out. The fire progressed to less than four kilometres from the town, where it continues to burn. 

Adam McNab, the town's director of protective services, said the fire has very little risk of moving past where it is now and that the team managing the fire, including the territory's department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) and Parks Canada, has been meeting daily to reassess.

Fort Smith announced on Facebook Saturday that the evacuation order would lift Monday morning. 

McNab said most services will be back up any running for returning residents including municipal services likes water supplies, garbage collection and sewage pumpout. 

The town is also holding a fall clean-up, running from Monday through to Sept. 30, with landfill fees waived and free curbside pick-up for yard and household waste.

He said grocery stores are receiving food, post office services are making their way back and the bank is nearly ready to open too. He said there may be some impact to gas supply and returning residents should pack some extra gas when possible. 

Health services will also be available for returning residents but facilities will be operating at a reduced capacity. 

According to a news release from the N.W.T. Health and Social Service Authority Saturday afternoon, the town's emergency department is expected to be operating at about 85 per cent capacity on Monday. The news releases states that 24-hour on-site services and Fort Smith's impatient unit will be operational with the possibility that some patients be transferred depending on need. 

The midwifery unit will operate at reduced capacity and pregnant women with urgent concerns will be admitted to the emergency department up until Sept. 21. After that the unit is expected to operate at pre-evacuation levels. 

The lab will be operating at full capacity starting Monday, while primary care will be at 50 per cent capacity up until Sept. 22. 

Child and family services as well as community counselling services will also be operating at reduced capacity.

In lifting its evacuation order, the town is now issuing an evacuation alert, meaning residents should be ready to leave again on short notice.