Flin Flon wildfire evacuees prepare to go home nearly a month after being forced out

Residents of a northern Manitoba city who were forced out by wildfire say they're feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety as they prepare to return to their homes after roughly four weeks away.

Starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT, roughly 4,800 evacuees from Flin Flon, Man., will be allowed to start returning home when the mandatory evacuation notice for the community is lifted, the province said in a fire bulletin Tuesday.

The update comes after some of those evacuees have been staying in hotels for weeks, including Flin Flon resident Guy Rideout, his partner Loreen Herriot and their cat and two dogs, who have been staying in The Pas.

While Flin Flon was spared from the wildfire, the devastation in surrounding areas — like the nearby community of Denare Beach, Sask. — is not lost on those who have homes to return to, Rideout said.

"We've got away quite scot-free. The outlying areas of cabin, resort homes, some of them weren't so lucky," Rideout said, adding he and Herriot plan to shop for some essentials before returning, which they hope will get them through the next week.

"Every day, things are going to change and improve in town. I'm sure it's all going to fall back together," he said.

Evacuees from Flin Flon have been living in temporary accommodations ever since the city was evacuated on May 28, when residents were forced out by a fast-moving wildfire.

While that fire is still out of control and now roughly 370,780 hectares in size, homes, businesses and other buildings in the community were saved, and officials have decided it's safe enough for people to go back.

For evacuees like Pauline Nabess, who arrived in The Pas on a bus with almost nothing and hasn't been able to work because of the evacuation, the experience has been particularly difficult. 

Nabess, along with her mother and two sons, was among the roughly 580 people officials say fled Flin Flon by bus. While she's looking forward to going back and starting to work again, she said she's feeling mixed emotions about returning home.

"It's going to be very different [to] go back home now. I don't know about the smoke damage. I don't know about the food in the freezer … going back [with] no money, not being able to go shopping and the uncertainty of that," she said, choking up. "It's pretty scary."

With evacuees scattered across Manitoba, officials in Flin Flon say they want to figure out who will need a ride back home and who can make it on their own, to ensure no one's left behind. But for those driving, the city is warning the highway will be busy and asks people to take their time.

Among them will be Kelly Sherman and his wife, two kids and dog, who are preparing to hit the road to arrive home as soon as residents are allowed back in Wednesday morning. 

While structures in Flin Flon were saved, Sherman said he thinks going back to see the damage the fire left around the community will still be an emotional experience.