Wollaston Evacuees Flown Home

Wollaston Evacuees Flown Home

Tuesday, June 07, 2011 at 14:39

 

 

Close to 200 evacuees have returned home to Wollaston Lake and the Hatchet Lake First Nation.

 

A total of 117 residents left the Saskatoon airport this morning, while 77 more left from Prince Albert.

 

Officials say planes will keep flying residents back until 10:00 p.m. before starting again tomorrow.

 

Fire management director Steve Roberts says the blaze that threatened their communities is still about the same size, but a favourable wind has pushed much of the smoke out of the community.

 

Officials acknowledge some residents have suggested they feel the evacuation was unnecessary.

 

Richard Kent of the Prince Albert Grand Council says he knows it has been a long week for many people who were living in shelters with just the clothes on their back.

 

Still, he says the decision to evacuate everyone was the right call because it is the time of year when there is no barge service nor a winter road in place — and the airport is small.

 

Meantime, officials are monitoring a fire burning 20 km west of the community of Descharme Lake.

 

At this point, there is no danger to the settlement, which is located north of La Loche.