EDMONTON – The Alberta government says wildfire evacuees could start returning to Fort McMurray as early as June 1. But Premier Rachel Notley says that date is contingent on certain conditions being met within the city. Here are those conditions:
— The Wildfire can no longer be an imminent threat and the air has to be safe to breathe. Notley said she would like to see air quality somewhere on the index between one, which is low risk, and 10, which is high risk. It reached as high as 51 in the city on Wednesday morning.
— Critical infrastructure must be restored to provide a basic service level.
— Essential services must be restored to a basic level, including police, fire, emergency medical services and utilities. Residents also need to have access to food, pharmaceuticals and banks.
— Hazardous areas damaged in the fire need to be secured. The government has been trucking fencing into the city to get this done.
— Local government needs to be re-established.
