No return date yet for Hay River, N.W.T., evacuees as fire conditions remain 'volatile'

Wildfire evacuees from Hay River, N.W.T., will have to wait a bit longer to learn when they might be able to go home.

The town council decided Monday that it was still too soon to set a date for the town's re-entry, as fire conditions in the area remain "volatile" and the community remains at risk.

On Friday, the town released its re-entry plan but did not commit to any dates. Officials said they wanted to see what happened over the weekend before meeting on Monday to decide what to do.

A notice posted online by the town onMonday evening said the first phase of the re-entry plan, which would see essential workers return to Hay River, "will not be executed at this time."

"The fire conditions in the hot, dry and windy weather are volatile and have contributed to the growth of the fire in a finger east of the [Kt'odeecheFirst Nation]area," the notice reads.

"Containment of this finger of the fire has not yet been completed and remains an elevated risk to the community."

The Kt'odeecheFirst Nation (KFN) also released its re-entry plan on Friday but it has also not committed to any dates yet.

Meantime, pre-registration will open Tuesday morning for repatriation flights for evacuees from Hay River, KFNand Fort Smith when the evacuation order is lifted. Officials said at a territorial briefing earlier on Monday that pre-registration allows them to start figuring out logistics and determine what kind of aircraft, or how many, might be needed.

The Town of Fort Smith has said the general public will be able to return there on Sept. 18, if conditions remain as anticipated.