The government expects thousands of people to start returning home today following the announcement that the evacuation order has been lifted for the La Ronge area.
Emergency Social Services spokesperson Karri Kempf says there are still close to 9000 people receiving emergency support.
She says all together more than 2,600 people returned home yesterday since the government began lifting evacuation orders, but that number is expected to increase in the next day or two.
“ If La Ronge’s formal announcement reaches all of the folk’s friends and family it’s easily for us to estimate 2000 people returning to that area,” says Kempf. “We do have a large portion of those people with their own vehicles, many of whom never even registered with us in the first place, they simple went to a family member or they’re looking after themselves.”
The Department of Highways says Highway 2 north of Prince Albert is open for business.
However, spokesperson Doug Wakabayashi says there are still other highways that remain closed.
“On the west side of the province Highway 903 remains closed 44 km north of Junction 965,” he says. “In the Weyakwin, Montreal Lake area Highway 935 is closed from Junction 165 and Highway 912 is closed, also Highway 937 from Junction 929 to 921 is closed.”
Even with the return of people to the La Ronge area the risk of fire in the region is still high according to the province.
There are still 112 wildfires burning in Saskatchewan with the Lynx Fire north of La Ronge still a concern.
Environment spokesperson Steve Roberts says the Lynx fire is a risk to Highway 102 north of the community.
“One of the other things people need as they start to go back to their communities now that the communities are secure,” says Roberts. “These fires are not out. We will be managing them. They will see occasional smoke and those types of events that will occur. They will see crews working, helicopters working, that’s to be expected.”