Wildfire evacuees head home to Little Grand Rapids

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This article was published 22/06/2018 (2132 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Residents of Little Grand Rapids began returning to their homes Saturday, ending a month of living in Winnipeg hotels after they were evacuated from their community because of wildfires spanning 60,000 acres.

The plan is to try to get everyone home to the fly-in community located about 280 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg in two days, with Monday as a buffer day in case of inclement weather, Red Cross spokeswoman Michelle Palansky said Saturday.

There were more than 1,000 people evacuated in late May from Little Grand Rapids and neighbouring community Pauingassi First Nation because of the massive outbreak of forest fires.

“There’s about 15 flights that are going out today and there’s about 15 flights that are going out tomorrow. We are hoping to have everyone back home by end of day tomorrow,” Palansky said. “There will be about 450 people going out today and about the same amount going out tomorrow.”

Palansky said the last flights will carry people who are elderly, anyone with health issues and families with young children. Some residents are also making their own way back home.

“That’s just to make sure that community members get a chance to get things ready and make sure things are set up, so that people with any special needs have things set up for them, so that when they come back to the community, it’s as easy a transition as possible,” she said.

Once residents land at the Grand Rapids Airport, they will return to their community by boat.

Security workers and labourers were in the community last weekend to begin cleaning up damage and to restore power, phone and water service.

Earlier this week, Manitoba Hydro had restored the area’s electricity while the Red Cross had delivered about 800 fridges and freezers — carrying a price tag of about $1 million — to replace those that were no longer safe for food storage after sitting without power and containing rotting food for weeks.

The Red Cross said it will have 100-pound meat packs available for residents and the community’s Northern Store will be open for business with fresh food by the time the residents arrive.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca