Some evacuees leaving Regina for Saskatoon — or home

Hundreds of evacuees from northern wildfires Regina are loading buses and personal vehicles as they get one step closer to going home.

Phyllis Smith smiled as she waved to the people on a charter bus heading to her home community of Pinehouse Wednesday morning. She is staying in Regina for now along with about 70 other people who have health conditions or babies under the age of two. They have been told to stay behind because of heavy smoke.

“People that are going home obviously are very happy, they got up early this morning to get ready,” Smith said. “Some of the people that are held back, they understand and I’m so glad that people from our community are so patient. They’re sad but they understand the situation.”

Outside Evraz Place, Red Cross volunteers handed out teddy bears to the kids, and smiled as they said goodbye to the families that they have been helping for more than two weeks.

Smith says it has been tough on everyone, noting that she misses the comforts of home. However, she is thankful for the Red Cross volunteers who she says made everything easier.

After two weeks away, she’s not sure what home will look like.

“I’ll be glad to be home, but I know it’s going to be a different sight because of the trees burning down,” Smith said. “So it’s going to be a bit different seeing how Pinehouse looked when I left and when I go back because of the fires.

She is hoping and praying that everyone else can go home in a few days now the danger to the community from fires is over. She has a message for everyone battling the wildfires.

“I would love to thank them if I was to see them; I don’t know if I will,” Smith said. “I would love to thank everybody even that stayed behind in Pinehouse to make sure our houses are safe and our community didn’t burn.”

There are approximately 157 Pinehouse evacuees in Regina, 100 in Saskatoon and 50 in Prince Albert that will go home on Wednesday. There are also evacuees using their personal cars that will return home.

Others whose communities are still under an evacuation order are moving to Saskatoon’s Henk Ruys and Sasktel soccer centres. Buses picked them up in Regina on Wednesday morning to transport them up Highway 11. About 200 people from Regina will join those already staying in those centres.

AChristianson@rawlco.com
Follow on Twitter: @AdrianaC_JME

Evacuees at Evraz load up the bus. Some people get to go home, others are bound for Saskatoon. #skfires pic.twitter.com/Q7N9Uvppk6

— Adriana Christianson (@AdrianaC_JME) July 15, 2015

Red Cross volunteers say this is the best part of the job, knowing some people are going home. #skfires pic.twitter.com/279M6348Va

— Adriana Christianson (@AdrianaC_JME) July 15, 2015

Evacuees from Pinehouse are happy to be going home. Others are heading to Saskatoon. #skfire pic.twitter.com/F7007bYTQc

— Adriana Christianson (@AdrianaC_JME) July 15, 2015