Residents of Flin Flon will be able to start coming home next week as officials in the northwestern Manitoba city lift its mandatory evacuation order.
A social media post from the city says the order is expected to be lifted at 9 a.m. on June 25, exactly one month after the city’s 5,000 residents were forced out by a massive wildfire.
Deputy Mayor Alison Dallas-Funk says most critical services and businesses, including power, gas and health care, will be ready to go starting Sunday.
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She says barring further fire activity, city council will meet Monday to officially rescind the evacuation order and secure transportation for people to come home.
Manitoba’s wildfire service has said crews have made progress in combating the 3,700-square-kilometre fire near Flin Flon, but weather has hindered their efforts.
The province has been experiencing what Premier Wab Kinew has described as its worst fire season in recent memory, forcing upwards of 21,000 people to flee.