Just a matter of hours for Flin Flon residents

THE PAS — Residents of Flin Flon, who are itching to go home Wednesday after nearly a month-long evacuation owing to a ferocious wildfire, waited it out in this community 200 kilometres to the south Tuesday.

Sitting in his idling Ford 150 at the Wescana Inn on Fischer Avenue, Bob Hughes is priming his truck’s battery for what is sure to be a long trip home.

The drive to Flin Flon usually takes him about an hour and a half, but he estimates with the caravan of people vying to get home once the evacuation order is lifted at 9 a.m., he might be stuck in traffic for three hours.

Hughes said he has been having dreams at night about returning to his home, which he was forced out of on May 27.

“I dream I’m driving up the hill to my place and it’s nighttime. I get excited and there’s no one else around. Then I pull into my driveway and I see snow everywhere. Snow is what killed the fire and I get excited all over again,” he says.

Hughes plans to leave as early as he can wake up, brush his hair, eat a quick breakfast and lock the door to his motel room. The motel’s food is good and staff are accommodating to evacuees, but Hughes is in desperate need of a shower in his own quarters.

Due to mobility issues Hughes, 67, can’t climb into his room’s tub and hasn’t been able to properly bathe himself.

“That’s gonna be real nice,” he said.

The retiree resigned himself to knowing there would be dead house plants and a yard full of dandelions awaiting his return in Flin Flon, but his home is still standing so he considers himself luckier than residents of nearby Creighton and Denare Beach, Sask. The communities suffered heavy losses from the same fire that threatened Flin Flon.

“The garbage will be ripe, but that I can handle,” he said with a laugh.

A few blocks away, at the Esso gas station on Gordon Avenue, Islam Salem is prepping the store for an onslaught of commuters eager to get home Wednesday morning.

The shelves are filled with phone chargers, a valuable commodity many evacuees forgot to pack, as well as water bottles.

This time around, Salem hopes there’s enough fuel to get everyone home.

“Everyone will be in a panic, so yeah, it will be busy for sure,” he said Tuesday afternoon.

Salem, 35, moved to The Pas from Egypt seven months ago and has already learned a valuable lesson in preparing for future emergencies.

When the wildfire crept closer to town, Salem packed a bag and now has it at the ready in case of an emergency.

“I learned how to manage myself, my things, in case any wildfire happened,” he said. “I just learned from the situation.”

Nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca