There is good news for residents of Drayton Valley and parts of Brazeau County..They are allowed to return home after wildfires forced them to leave..As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the evacuation order for the Town of Drayton Valley and parts of Brazeau County was partially lifted and staggered community re-entry can now occur safely..As of 2 p.m., those with even house number addresses can return to the evacuated areas. At 4 p.m., those with odd house number addresses will be allowed to return to the community.."For residents of Brazeau County, the Buck Creek fire is still impacting properties and those areas of fire activity noted in red on the map will remain under an evacuation order," the Town of Drayton Valley stated..Before residents can come back to the community, the town advised you to please ensure you do the following as resources as supplies may be limited:.Fill up your vehicles with fuelPick up a few days worth of groceries."This staggered entry approach is to reduce the traffic on the highways and allow for a safe re-entry of our residents to the community," the Town of Drayton Valley stated.."Please refer to the map for details on the remaining evacuation order area, noted in red, and road closure locations to keep the area secure. Residents whose properties are located within the revised evacuation red zone are not able to return home at this time.".As firefighting operations continue for at least the remainder of the week, smaller areas in the red evacuation zone may re-open systematically as fire crews reach extinguishment objectives to make returning to those areas safe..For those who can return to their homes in the Town of Drayton Valley and the surrounding area, please use the following routes:.Arriving from the West: travel east on Highway 620Arriving from the North: travel south on Highway 22Arriving from the East: travel west on Highway 39Arriving from the South: Travel north using Highway 22.Evacuation orders were also lifted on Tuesday as the Buck Creek Wildfire is considered ‘being held’, which means the wildfire is not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under prevailing conditions.."At this point, fire crews will finish establishing control lines working inwards to the burned area, conduct fuel management activities and mop-up (extinguishing a fire) in close proximity to residential structures," the Town of Drayton Valley said.."Firefighting work will continue on the Buck Creek Wildfire for at least the remainder of this week, over the coming long weekend and likely beyond that point. These efforts are to maintain fire containment guards and to address priority hotspots surrounding residential dwellings.".Fire, smoke, trees burning at the roots and ‘torching’ or ‘candling’ to their tops are to be expected within the many ‘green islands’ within the fire burn path or what is known as the ‘black’ area.."Fire activity in the area will last for some time to come until soaking rains occur or another natural extinguishment happens. Residents should expect fire activity and smoke and report fires within the Buck Creek Wildfire area if they are near a dwelling or have the potential to spread to any values," the Town of Drayton Valley said.."Thanks to the work of many utility service providers, critical infrastructure repairs were completed and there are plans in place to support emergency response during community re-entry.".The Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre will be open on May 17 and EMS services remain available in the community..Those with medical condition concerns or who anticipate a need for the emergency department may choose to delay their return until full hospital services resume..Shale Medical Clinic will be taking walk-in appointments as of today, May 16, starting at 2 p.m.."The hard work and dedication of our emergency personnel and first responders have made this re-entry possible earlier than initially anticipated," the Town of Drayton Valley said.."I’m so happy to finally welcome our community home,” said Town of Drayton Valley Mayor, Nancy Dodds..“This has been a very trying time, but I have been touched by the optimism, generosity and compassion of our residents. This has been a tough go for everyone involved and an unprecedented event for our community,” said Brazeau County Reeve Bart Guyon. “I’m happy we’re at a place where most folks can come back and get on with their lives.”.The Town of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County said they both express their sincere gratitude to all the emergency responders, incident management personnel, staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to support their communities during this challenging time.
