Alberta wildfires: Little Red River Cree Nation residents begin returning home

The thousands of evacuated residents from Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta began returning home Monday after a wildfire evacuation order was lifted.

Residents of John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River began making their way back to their respective communities.

Buses began picking them up from their hotels – in Edmonton, Peace River, Grande Prairie and High Level – as of 8 a.m.

Some 5,500 people living in Little Red River Cree Nation – about 750 kilometres north of Edmonton – were forced to leave their homes last month due to encroaching wildfires within the Semo Complex.

Garden River residents were evacuated July 10, while those in Fox Lake and John D’Or Prairie left July 20.

Residents are being warned by the First Nation that “air quality in the communities is poor.”

They are also being told to be prepared to leave again, as an evacuation alert remains in effect for Little Red River Cree Nation.

An out-of-control wildfire is about 19 km northeast of John D’Or Prairie and 15 km north of Fox Lake. A different out-of-control blaze is 13 km from Garden River.

There are 457 firefighters and support personnel working on the Semo Complex, as well as 22 helicopters and 110 pieces of heavy equipment.

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While residents of Little Red River Cree Nation are returning home, others in Alberta were ordered to flee over the weekend.

Central Peace Regional Emergency Management in northwestern Alberta issued an evacuation order and two evacuation alerts late Saturday due to fires burning in the area. The order is affecting about a dozen properties.

Alberta Wildfire says 120 fires were burning in the province on Sunday — 16 that were out of control, 46 that were listed as being held, and 57 that were under control.

–With files from The Canadian Press