After eight days, residents go home

By SARAH DAVISON   Star Reporter

The emergency is over, and the 200-plus residents of the tiny Indian village of Old Crow are heading home.

A huge, 43,000-hectare forest fire which has been raging just three kilometres from the community for two weeks is now far enough away from people's houses for residents to return.

Tuesday afternoon, the Yukon's community services minister, Maurice Byblow, called an end to the state of emergency he declared July 23.

The people of Old Crow, evacuated to Inuvik, N.W.T., were elated when they heard at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday that they would be returning home today.

"There was hollering and clapping and yelling," said Roger Kay, chief of the Old Crow Indian band. He told people the good news following a short visit to Inuvik by Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn.

Shortly after Hnatyshyn left, and while people were still conveniently congregated in the gym, the long-awaited call came through from Byblow.

"All day I had said, 'We don't have the official word, we don't have the official word yet,'" said Kay. "But then I told them we had the official word and we would return tomorrow."

Although grateful for Inuvik's assistance, Kay said people are anxious to get back to their accustomed way of life after nine days camped out in a college gym.

"They were all eager to go home, and get back to their routine. They want to do their own thing and get back to their house."

A DC-4 aircraft, which can carry 57 passengers, will make four trips to Old Crow throughout the day. The first one, carrying single people, landed this morning. Two trips this afternoon will carry mothers with children and elders, said Kay.

He expects the homecoming to be complete by 7 p.m.

The fire was inspected Saturday, said Kay, and many of his people were hoping for an announcement that they would be returning Sunday.

"But Saturday was not a good day. Old Crow was still in danger because of hot spots. So I told them Wednesday. And today's Wednesday and we're returning to Old Crow."

Now Kay and other officials are struggling with a logistical headache, trying to make sure that no one gets left behind.

"The planning started last Friday, and there have been so many changes to make it easier."

If anyone gets to the airport by any means other than the transport laid on at the college, they have to return and catch the right bus, he said.

Al Beaver of the federal Forest Service said fire crews continue to improve the fire guards along the blaze and were grateful for the rain Sunday and Monday.

Although the fire guard remains three kilometres from the community, fire crews continue to extinguish the blaze beyond the guard, into the fire.

"It could grow a bit on the west side," said Beaver. "But otherwise it's burning off into the observation zone."