UPDATE: At 4:30 p.m. MT Monday, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for all work camps north of Fort McMurray, up to and including Ruth Lake Camp. Workers were told to head south on Highway 63.
EDMONTON – The Edmonton International Airport was busy Monday morning as hundreds of workers arrived to fly back to Fort McMurray.
Flights began leaving the airport for Fort McMurray at about 7 a.m.
The workers are heading to camps north of Fort McMurray. Some of them were evacuated when the sites were threatened by wildfires, others left to make room for evacuated residents.
WATCH: Oilsands worker returning to camps separate from residents returning to Fort McMurray: Notley
Last week, Premier Rachel Notley said bringing workers back to sites is a separate process from re-entering Fort McMurray.
“It’s important for folks in Fort McMurray to understand that, because, of course, the city of Fort McMurray sustained quite a bit of damage and we need to reaccess all those critical infrastructure pieces, as opposed to most of the camps north of the city that were not impacted at all,” Notley said.
READ MORE: Residents see first images of homes following Fort McMurray wildfire
Workers said they’re excited to head back, but admitted the flight over Fort McMurray would be emotional.
“When driving out, we went through. When I went out Tuesday morning, you didn’t see a lot from the road, but it was scorched on all sides and there was still some flames going up on Beacon Hill and what not,” Deb Farstad said.
“Just to go back and kind of go over and see, especially what you couldn’t see entirely right, like the mass of it is, you know, it’s just unthinkable.”
Flights from EIA to Fort McMurray will be happening for a few days.
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees phoned for massive town halls
The airport recommends workers arrive two hours before their flight to give themselves time to get processed.
Fort McMurray residents will receive a phone call at 7 p.m. Monday with an invitation to take part in a telephone town hall, where they’ll learn the latest information, including when they’ll be allowed to return to the city, and have a chance to ask questions.
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