Some County of Grande Prairie residents can return home. As of 2:22 p.m. Tuesday, the evacuation order for residents from Township Road 710 south to the Wapiti River between Range Road 75 and 73 and Range Road 65 and 63 has been downgraded to an alert but residents must be prepared for evacuation in 30 minutes.
This includes the subdivisions of Mystic Ridge, Deer Ridge Estates, The Ranch, and Dunes West. GPREP says Residents can access properties west of Range Road 73 from Range Road 75, as checkpoints around the evacuation order area are maintained.
Most residents from Township Road 710 south to Wapiti River between Range Road 65 and Range Road 73 remain on an evacuation order and cannot return home until conditions improve and the order is lifted. Evacuees can call 1-825-606-5092 to confirm if their address remains on the evacuation order.
The subdivisions of Park Meadows, Deer Run Estates, and surrounding properties which were downgraded to an evacuation alert on May 14 remain under an evacuation alert. Residents in the area north of Township Road 712, west of Range Road 73, and east of Range Road 63 are no longer under evacuation alert.
Earlier Tuesday, the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership confirmed that the Dunes West Wildfire is now classified as under control, thanks to progress overnight. That means activity has been contained within the established fire perimeter.
At that time, GPREP said homes in the evacuation order area will not have their gas turned on until the evacuation order is downgraded to an alert. Once residents are allowed to re-enter following the downgrade, they should contact ATCO to unlock the gas connection to their home.
The region continues to be plagued by smoky skies, which GPREP says is not from the Dunes West Wildfire but instead the result of funneling smoke from wildfires throughout the province and British Columbia.