N.W.T. now focused on emergency recovery after wildfire evacuations, officials say

N.W.T. officials say the territory is moving out its wildfire emergency response phase, and will now shift focus toward recovery from an unprecedented and devastating season.

"We are satisfied that most N.W.T. evacuees, including many of the most vulnerable, have made their way home," said Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Shane Thompson at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Thompson also said the territory will work with any residents who have lost property in the wildfires.

"Please note that we will not leave you behind," he told those residents. 

The minister also said the territory will do an "after-action review," to analyze the emergency response, including firefighting efforts and the community evacuations.

"We're looking at everything, like from the very beginning of when we started this season to ... the end of the season, about having resources we need. And again, it's reaching out to all people of the Northwest Territories to have commentary on it," Thompson said of the review.

"It's going to be very in-depth."

As of Tuesday, there were still 121 active wildfires in the territory and an evacuation order is still in place for the community of Enterprise.

That means Enterprise evacuees who are still down south will still have their hotel costs covered for now. Any other N.W.T. residents still down south but no longer subject to evacuation orders are on their own when it comes to covering their costs.

Evacuation orders have been lifted in recent days for Hay River, Kátł'odeeche First Nation and Fort Smith, and residents have been returning home.

Firefighters are still busy in the area battling out-of-control fires, though, and residents in those communities are under an evacuation alert — meaning people should be prepared in case they need to leave again on short notice.

Yellowknife also remains under an evacuation alert as of Tuesday.

The territory has so far budgeted $95.6 million — quadruple the original amount — for this fire season, according to Thompson. He said that money hasn't all been spent, but it may be yet.

"We're still fighting fires," he said.