Residents of Hay River, NWT, will finally be able to return to their homes on Saturday, ending the small community’s second evacuation order of the summer as crews battle nearby wildfires.

City officials confirmed Friday that the order will be lifted tomorrow at 9 a.m. local time, barring unforeseen weather events, although they have said risks remain due to the nearby fire.

“Crews have worked tirelessly to contain the perimeter of the fire within the community,” the city said in a Facebook post.

Conditions now meet the “acceptable risk level” set by the council, he said.

The announcement came as temperatures in Hay River hovered around 20C, with gusty winds from the south. The weather forecast for the weekend calls for warm and sunny conditions, again around 20C.

The community of about 4,000 people in Great Slave Lake received its first evacuation order of the summer in May, as did the nearby Kátł’odeeche First Nation Reserve. A second order followed on August 13, as fires again approached both communities.

The First Nation says its residents can begin returning Sunday at 9 a.m.

He said on Facebook that transportation will be scheduled for Monday for anyone who needs it, with times to be confirmed later, and advised returning residents to bring enough food and water to last at least a day or two, as services will be limited in Hay River. and in reserve for the next few days.

“No one will be left behind,” the post said.

Wildfire officials said Friday that containment and firebreak lines continue to hold in the Hay River Corridor and Kátł’odeeche areas. However, the fire that affects 489,511 hectares remains out of control.

Early Friday morning, fire information officer Mike Westwick said weather conditions could cause fires on the east side of the Hay River to head north toward the shore of Great Slave Lake.

Westwick said officials hoped to be able to fly planes as winds blew away the smoke hanging over the area, and that the fight continues to quell the wildfire.

“People don’t go back to a fire-free zone. They don’t go back to a hazard-free zone,” Westwick said on CBC Radio. The trail breaker.