Watch above: The Government of Saskatchewan says operations continue to wind down as more wildfire evacuees make their way back home. Amber Rockliffe reports.
REGINA – The Government of Saskatchewan says operations continue to wind down Sunday as more wildfire evacuees make their way home. The repatriation of evacuees to many northern communities is going well, according to officials.
The number of evacuees receiving services has dropped to 4,477.
There are 100 active wildfires burning in the province. Around 1,250 people are involved in firefighting efforts, including 300 frontline military personnel.
READ MORE: Northern Saskatchewan wildfire threat level ‘greatly changed’
Over the next few days, the Canadian Forces will begin to phase out its remaining 400 military personnel.
“That will go down to somewhere between 100 and 200 tomorrow, and I expect by Tuesday, the vast majority of our troops will be redeployed, or in the process of redeploying,” explained Brig.-Gen. Wayne Eyre in Regina on Sunday.
“We will leave what we call a small trail party behind just to close out any contracts, land use agreements and the like.”
Light scattered showers fell in northern Saskatchewan Saturday. According to officials, the long-term forecast calls for sun and temperatures in the low to mid 20s.
The province says the probability of multiple new fire starts is low.
“The risk to human life and critical infrastructure had gone down. The province had developed enough resources to be able to do this internally, so there was no longer a requirement for unique military capabilities,” Eyre explained.
On Friday, the province-wide fire ban was lifted. Evacuees are asked to check with their local RM, park or community to ensure there are no local fire bans in place before heading home.
Sections of highways remain closed due to the wildfire threat. For a complete list of closures, visit the Highway Hotline.
Anyone with questions about evacuation orders can call their authority and evacuees can contact the Red Cross inquiry line at 1-888-953-3463.
Amber Rockliffe contributed to this story
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