Residents relieved, anxious as they begin return to fire-threatened Cranberry Portage

Debbie Sinclair may not be ready yet to talk at length about what it will feel like to be able to walk through the front door of her home in Cranberry Portage, Man., but one thing she's sure of:  "They're heroes," Sinclair said of the fire crews, volunteers, emergency and Manitoba Hydro workers who for more than a week have been toiling to protect the wildfire-threatened community, which was deemed safe for residents to return to starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. 

"We just thank everyone and appreciate everything that they did," Sinclair said in a phone interview with CBC, as she and her family made their way by road to their home after living out of in hotels in Thompson and Swan River. 

About 675 residents in and around Cranberry Portage were ordered to evacuate starting May 11 as a major forest fire threatened the area, located about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. 

The evacuated areas included the cottage subdivisions of Sourdough Bay, Whitefish Lake, Twin Lakes and Schist Lake North. 

"I'm sure it will be a little bit emotional, but it's nothing we can't handle," Sinclair said of being allowed to return home. "I'm hoping for the best." Sinclair said she felt confident in returning as emergency officials wouldn't allow it if they were at risk.

Others, like David Tait, are less enthusiastic and are taking a wait-and-see approach to returning. 

Speaking to CBC by phone from a Winnipeg hotel, Tait said he'll be staying in the city with his daughter, age 11, and their family pets until at least Tuesday. 

The community high school teacher said while the front line of the fire may be under control, it's still burning and he believes the air quality can't be very good. On the day of the evacuation, his daughter had to go to hospital in The Pas due to smoke inhalation, he said. 

"Going back is a little bit stressful ... we'll have to see how it goes," he said. "I'm just a little bit skeptical of having to leave again." 

While Tait expressed gratitude to all the emergency workers and firefighters, he said the evacuation was an ordeal and information sharing about logistics was slow. The Pas was overwhelmed with evacuees, prompting him to divert to Swan River, then Dauphin before finally deciding to make his way to Winnipeg.

Costs have been adding up, he said. 

"This has been an experience. I've learned a lot," Tait said. 

The province said in a news release Sunday it would be making emergency support available for residents of Cranberry Portage and surrounding communities who have been evacuated from their homes due to wildfire. 

A one-time assistance supplement is available to those under mandatory evacuation due to wildfires for seven days or more, the release said. Eligible adults will receive $200 and eligible children will receive $100.