The evacuation status for the remaining County of Grande Prairie residents has been downgraded from an Evacuation Order to an Evacuation Alert. This means that residents between Township Road 705 and the Wapiti River, east of Spring Creek to Range Road 65, including The Banks at Spring Creek, are allowed to return to their homes. Returning residents must remain on high alert and be prepared to evacuate within 30 minutes if necessary.

All other Evacuation Alerts are now lifted although residents are strongly advised to stay connected with official channels for any further updates. The safety and well-being of the community remain our top priority. The cooperation, resilience and support demonstrated by the affected residents are sincerely appreciated.

There will be smoke present within the fire perimeter over the next few days. If you see smoke on your property, please call 911 and report it. Authorities and emergency response teams will continue to closely monitor the region, and action priority areas. The fire is classified as under control, and it is safe for residents to return home. Please be aware that there are still hot spots that are being closely monitored and actioned.

The smoke that the Grande Prairie region continues to experience is not from the Dunes West fire; it’s the result of funneling smoke from wildfires throughout other areas of the province and British Columbia.