Swan Hills residents can return home Thursday for the first time since May 26, when the northern Alberta community was evacuated because of a nearby wildfire threat.
Re-entry started at 11 a.m. Thursday morning. Highway 33 into the community is open but has reduced speed limits because crews are working in the area. The community of about 1,300, roughly 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, will remain on a four-hour evacuation alert.
“Please be aware that the wildfire danger still exists in our region, and you should be prepared in the event the situation worsens. Please be cautious and courteous during the re-entry process,” read a notice posted on the town’s website.
The blaze that prompted Swan Hills’ evacuation, called the Edith Lake wildfire, is about eight kilometres north of the town and was last measured at 169 square kilometres.
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