THUNDER BAY – Evacuees fleeing forest fires that threatened two Northwestern Ontario First Nations are preparing to head home.
Evacuees from Poplar Hill First Nation currently staying in Thunder Bay will begin the trip back on Tuesday, while those in the city from Deer Lake First Nation are set to follow on Thursday.
Residents of the two communities, located north of Red Lake, make up the bulk of more than 1,100 forest fire evacuees currently being hosted in Thunder Bay.
A request from the province to transfer 470 other Deer Lake evacuees currently staying in Cornwall to Thunder Bay is no longer required, as that group will begin heading home on Tuesday, said a spokesperson for the City of Thunder Bay.
The city rejected the province’s transfer request last week, saying emergency services and municipal resources were at their limit with the large number of evacuees already here.
A review of that decision by city council will no longer take place at its Monday meeting, given the change in circumstance.
The good news for evacuees comes amid a forest fire situation that remains difficult across much of Northwestern Ontario, with Environment Canada saying showers predicted this week will prove insufficient to provide much relief.
