(Fort Nelson) Residents of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, will be able to return home Monday after being evacuated for more than two weeks due to wildfires.
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Fort Nelson First Nation announced they will jointly end their evacuation orders at 8 a.m. Monday morning local time.
At that time, authorities will lift roadblocks, allowing people to return home.
About 4,700 residents were evacuated from Fort Nelson on May 10, when high winds pushed the Parker Lake Fire a few kilometers from the city.
The blaze destroyed four homes and damaged six other properties in the area.
Fire crews are also battling the Patry Creek Fire, north of the city, which was initially sparked by lightning in July 2023.
The mayor of the regional municipality, Rob Fraser, asked residents to be patient, as traffic is expected to be heavy on the highway between Fort Nelson and Fort St John, 380 km to the south, during the return operation at home.