Sandy Lake repatriation efforts beginning Friday, First Nation says

Efforts to repatriate members of Sandy Lake First Nation are set to begin this Friday. The efforts could take up to two weeks to complete, according to a Facebook post by the First Nation's communications team.

More than 2,000 members of the community were forced to evacuate last month as northwestern Ontario's largest wildfire, Red Lake 12, encroached on the First Nation. The fire has spread across 195,670 hectares as of Tuesday, according to Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.

Evacuees were airlifted by the Canadian Armed Forces to Thunder Bay, and then on to several host locations across Ontario, including Cornwall, Mississauga and Kapuskasing. 

The Red Lake 12 fire also forced an additional 885 members of the Deer Lake First Nation to evacuate to Toronto. Efforts to return them to Deer Lake began last Friday.

Repatriation efforts commence Friday

Sandy Lake First Nation said that that security and essential service providers will be the first to return to the community as repatriation efforts commence Friday evening. For the rest of the community, efforts to return home will likely happen in the reverse order from which community members were evacuated, with elders, infants and those with high risk medical needs returning in the later stages of the repatriation.

The First Nation says that lists with flight arrangements will be prepared for each host location once further details are confirmed.

Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services says growth in the blaze's western and northwestern areas has forced the department to remap the wildfire.

Fires still burning

Fire behaviour lowered over the weekend, as an estimated 25 to 35 millimetres of rain fell over Red Lake 12, said Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in a release Wednesday.  

Despite 23 firefighting crews and 12 helicopters fighting the blaze's eastern and southern perimeters, officials said the fire is still not under control. In areas where the wildfire has slowed, crews have begun demobilizing equipment including pumps and hoses, it said. 

Red Lake 12 is one of 34 wildfires currently active across Northwestern Ontario.Ten of them are still not under control.

As of Tuesday, four new fires were reported in the region, including Red Lake 57. Its burning approximately 71 kilometres west of Cat Lake First Nation and is not under control.