Evacuees Heading Back to Slave Lake

Signs of life are starting to come back in the Alberta town nearly levelled by wildfires.

The first of Slave Lake, Alta.'s, 7,000 evacuees have been allowed to return home as the northern Alberta town begins its reconstruction efforts after a devastating wildfire. Emergency and health personnel living in Slave Lake are the first to come home after the May 15 fire destroyed about a third of the community. Power, running water, and phone service were returned to the parts of town still standing this week, allowing residents to slowly trickle in. The next phase of reconstruction will see businesses open, and then all residents, provided their homes are still standing, will come back to Slave Lake.