Residents of a First Nation in northern Ontario are set to begin returning home today after a wildfire threatened the community early last month and forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate.
Sandy Lake First Nation says in a social media post that repatriation will start this evening, with security and essential service providers going first to help prepare for the arrival of other residents.
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The provincial government says firefighting crews no longer need pumps and hoses in areas where the fire was sufficiently suppressed, although they continue to put out hot spots in southern and eastern sections of the fire today.
Sandy Lake First Nation says its residents were evacuated to seven locations across the province, and it could take up to two weeks to get everyone home.
National Defence sent military planes last month to airlift hundreds out of the First Nation as the fire doubled in size to almost 1,500 square kilometres.
The province says there are 44 active wildfires in northwest Ontario as of Thursday, with 15 of them out of control.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
