Some residents who had to be evacuated from their homes due to the Long Lake wildfire in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley will be able to return to their homes beginning Wednesday morning.
Officials made the announcement at a wildfire briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
The wildfire remains out of control and measures 8,468 hectares — or almost 85 square kilometres — and has been burning for three weeks.
People who live in the following areas will be allowed to return to their homes at the following times:
“Just because you are returning home does not mean that we’re completely out of the woods yet,” said Dustin Enslow, deputy warden of Annapolis County.
He said residents of 360 homes will be allowed to return, which leaves people from 145 civic addresses still out of their homes.
Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection for the Department of Natural Resources, cautioned that people must remain prepared to leave.
“There is still the possibility that it could change again, but we want to get people home as soon as we can, as safely as we can, so at this point … [we’re] quite confident they can go home right now, but again reminding them it is an active fire zone,” he said.
Enslow said the people returning to their homes must have a piece of identification with them that lists their address. Otherwise, they may be denied access.
He recommended these residents keep a 72-hour emergency kit handy in case more evacuations are needed.
At 4 p.m., Highway 10 will reopen to the general public.
Enslow said rainfalls in the area over the weekend measured as much as seven millimetres.
“It’s very spotty and we still need good rain to help us with this fire,” said Rudderham.
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