RCMP, critical workers return to wildfire-threatened Fort Smith

Amid Yellowknife's re-entry, Fort Smith, N.W.T., is beginning to invite some critical personnel back into the community.

With a wildfire still burning about 3.4 kilometres from Fort Smith, the town is reminding residents it's still not safe to come home. Still, the town has announced the return of RCMP officers and said other essential staff have also returned in recent days.  

The update comes in a Facebook post from the Fort Smith Protective Services page.

It says the first step to re-entry is bringing in RCMP, staff from the power corporation, grocers and health care workers but that the returning staff is so far limited to "only those who must be here before it is safe to bring other essential services back." 

Fort Smith has been evacuated since Aug.12 as a wildfire neared Highway 5, the only road out of town. An update from N.W.T. Fire Tuesday night said cooling temperatures helped the firefighting effort, but there is still severe drought in the area. 

Wednesday's update says that in August, Fort Smith typically receives an average 64 millimetres of rain. This year it's received five millimetres total. 

Making the community safe

Parks Canada issued a few more details Wednesday afternoon in a post on Facebook.

It said before fire personnel can sign off on lifting the evacuation order, they first have to put out all the hot spots along the northeast side of the fire.

That's the side stretching from Thebacha to just south of Fort Smith, and then across to Fort Fitzgerald.

"We are getting closer each day, but we're not there yet," the parks service wrote.