A photo from late May showing the Chuckegg Creek Fire's prooximity to the community (Facebook / Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement)

By Shaun Penner

Paddle Prairie

Paddle Prairie residents can return home today as evacuation order is lifted

Jun 20, 2019 | 7:14 AM

More than 700 evacuees from the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement can safely return home today for the first time since late May.

The mandatory evacuation order will be lifted as of 1 p.m. Upon arrival, residents need to first check in at the Arena in Paddle Prairie to receive their home cleaning kits and hampers.

When returning home, residents are asked to not turn on natural gas appliances until they have been properly inspected by either the Paddle Prairie Gas Coop or High Level Alta Gas. Residents should also flush all water lines for 20-30 minutes.

Unfortunately for many in Paddle Prairie, they will return to ruins as many homes were destroyed by the blaze, which was last reported at over 325,000 hectares in size. Latest numbers say at least 14 homes were destroyed.

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The news comes as more residents just to the north of the community in Mackenzie County have been told to evacuate their homes because of the growing Chuckegg Creek Wildfire.

More than 9,000 people province-wide remain out of their homes because of wildfires.