Challenging weekend will determine when Hay River, N.W.T., residents can go home

"Quickly and efficiently." 

That's how Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson is planning to stage the re-entry to her community. 

On Thursday, the town announced it would be releasing its plan for when residents can return on Friday. Those looking for specific dates on when that'll happen will need to wait until next week. 

"This weekend's warm, dry weather comes with a significant risk for that fire to grow," said Jameson. 

Mike Westwick, fire information officer with the N.W.T. government, said the trend of warming temperatures seen this week "sort of escalates" over the weekend. 

With temperatures reaching into the mid-twenties, winds coming south, southeast, and ongoing drought conditions, Westwick said there was "potential to push the fire toward places we don't want it to go." 

Westwick also said crews have been focusing on two fingers that ignited on the east side of the Hay River and stretched toward Kátł'odeeche First Nation reserve. 

Others have been scraping the ground near the edge of the fire to remove any possible fuel. 

Fire officials want to get through the weekend before announcing any solid dates.  

"I don't have a crystal ball," said Jameson, "but we're hoping within the next week to 10 days." 

Instead, she said Friday's plan will focus on "where the risk level needs to be when we can start bringing people back," as well as the phases of re-entry. 

Hay River residents were forced to leave their community on Aug. 13 — the second time this summer — when strong winds pushed a wildfire at least 40 kilometres toward the town in a single day. That fire has remained a threat to the community, moving to within 1.5 kilometres of the airport, and 500 metres of the health centre and Westpoint First Nation. 

Since then, residents have been spread across several towns, mostly in Alberta. 

"I understand the frustration," said Jameson, but also commended the community's residents.  

"They look after each other, they support each other … We're almost there. You know, every day is one day closer to being home and we can't wait to welcome everybody back." 

Driving, dining and puzzling

Evacuees have been making the best of it. 

Mattie McNeill says her nosiness has kept her busy during the evacuation. 

The 78-year-old Hay River resident has been exploring every corner of Peace River, Alta., for the past few weeks. 

"I found some beautiful spots right in the centre that I'd never even knew existed," she said.

Usually when travelling south, she'd stop at a motel, order some pizza and be on her way the next day. 

Now, she said, "I'm trying to go to different places; I'm amazed at the number of restaurants they have and some of them have the most exquisite food." 

When not driving and dining, McNeill chats and does puzzles with other evacuees. 

Her experience has been overwhelmingly positive, from the support she's received to meeting new people. 

But she understands other evacuees itching to go home.

"I'm an older lady … I don't have some of the worries that some of the people I've spoken to have," she said. "I don't have any children that I have to take care of, and keep busy during the day. I don't have a lot of money worries, because I don't have a mortgage payment that I have to make … So I think there are some people who are concerned, [and] a lot of them I think have reason to be concerned." 

Still she misses home: more clothes, more books, regular routine. 

When leaving, she says she threw in a few nice dresses, but has no matching shoes, only a pair of "dirty old runners." 

"So that looks really interesting when I'm downtown, I tell ya." 

She's especially looking forward to going home to catch the end of the leaves changing colour. 

But when she travels south again in the future, she has a new pit stop. 

"I might decide to stay a day or two in Peace River now that I know of the places you can go and the things you can do," she said. "And the places that I want to go eat again."