Fort Smith, N.W.T., re-entry plan calls for public to start returning Sept. 18

Residents of Fort Smith, N.W.T., will begin returning home on Sept. 18 as long as the threat from a nearby wildfire remains as anticipated.

That's according to a plan approvedat a special town council meeting Monday morning.

The town has been under an evacuation order since Aug. 12.

Vulnerable populations will return at a timeto be determined in partnership with agencies including the Northern Territories Health and Social Services Authority.

The town will welcomeessential services back to the community on Tuesday and begin preparing them for full operation over a six-day period, according to the plan.

The town's director of protective services, Adam McNab, assessed the risk to the main town site on Friday as being low, according to the plan.

"With this assessment, the decision has been made by the incident to demobilize structure protection equipment in the main townsite from Carls Drive west to Tamarac (not including Bell Rock) effective Sept. 08, 2023."

Decisions aboutre-entering neigbouring areasincludingBorder town, halfway, Fort Fitzgerald, Thebacha, and Salt River Bridge will be made separately from the Town of Fort Smith by the agencies and local governments having jurisdiction, according to the memo.

The Town of Fort Smith willsupport those communities in their re-entry.