Yellowknife evacuees begin long-awaited return home

"I miss my grandkids. I miss the hugs," said Alvina Morris with a laugh as she sat on her walker in front of the Westin Hotel.

Morris is one of roughly 3,500 evacuees registered with the City of Calgary, forced from their homes by wildfire for the past three weeks.

"I was elated. I mean, when they said they can't give us a date but they're saying we're going to go home," Morris said.

Scheduled flights are still limited with just one listed at YYC on Wednesday, but additional service is being added.

The territorial government has asked returning residents to come prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days on their return home.

Many others are preparing to make the 19-hour drive, which comes with its own stresses.

"We're very happy to head home but it's a bit stressful getting organized," said Michelle Lucas as her family stuffed the last of their things into the waiting car.

"We know that a lot of people are heading back at the same time and judging whether to go sooner or later."

She says they are worried about getting gasoline for the trip but can't wait to get home despite Calgary's hospitality.

"It would be nice not to do this again," she said.

Nearly all of Yellowknife's 20,000 residents were ordered to leave starting Aug. 16 because of a cluster of wildfires that were edging closer to the territorial capital.