Thousands of High Level residents, who were evacuated nearly two weeks ago because of ongoing wildfires in the region, will be allowed to go home on Monday.

“High Level and the surrounding area is reopening its doors to welcome you back,” the town said on Sunday.

“At 10 a.m. Monday, the mandatory evacuation order for High Level, the surrounding areas of Mackenzie County and the Dene Tha’ First Nation communities of Bushe River, Meander River and Chateh will be lifted and people will be allowed back into their homes.”

Firefighters work on the south end of the Chuckegg Creek fire near Paddle Prairie on June 1, 2019.

The town added that officials have deemed the area “relatively safe.”

Firefighters might have moved propane tanks, patio furniture, firewood, garbage bins and other items away from homes, the town said.

“You can move your items back into your yards, but please keep barbecues and flammable items away from the house or from under trees,” the town said. “You can barbecue as usual.”

People will be given return packages that include information about disposing of spoiled food and refreshing taps to rid them of stagnant water.

“The hospital, grocery stores, banks and gas stations are ready for you,” the town said.

High Level Mayor Crystal McAteer said in a video that while the mandatory evacuation order that has been in place for almost two weeks will be lifted, an evacuation alert will remain in place.

She said that means residents should be ready to leave again at short notice if the fire threat returns.

As of June 2 at 8 a.m., wildfire season in Alberta had forced 10,252 people out of their homes in the northern part of the province over the last few weeks, according to the provincial government. The mandatory evacuation areas include High Level, Mackenzie County, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement, County of Northern Lights, Municipal District of Opportunity, Bigstone Cree Nation, Municipal District of Lesser Slave River and Peerless Trout First Nation.

The Chuckegg Creek wildfire burns in the High Level Forest Area, to the southwest and west of the town of High Level, Alta. in this photo posted on the Alberta Wildfire Twitter page on Saturday, May 18, 2019.

A helicopter drops a bucket of water on the Chuckegg Creek wildfire west of High Level, Alta., in a Saturday, May 25, 2019, handout photo.

As of Sunday at 11 a.m., there were two active wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, both of which were out of control; the Chuckegg Creek fire had grown to 279,551 hectares and the Jackpot Creek fire around Steen River was at 24,730 hectares. There were 68 firefighters and nine helicopters working on the Jackpot Creek fire as of Sunday morning, according to Wildfire Alberta.

– With a file from The Canadian Press

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