Leaf Rapids wildfire evacuees concerned about biohazards after being told they can return home

Wildfire evacuees from Leaf Rapids, preparing to go home Thursday, were packing in tears.

Beverley Baker was afraid to take her eight grandchildren, for whom she cares, back home after the town described their refrigerators – after a prolonged power outage – as biohazards needing removal.

“I can’t imagine all the biohazards like the toxic that’s around the house, in the house,” said Baker.

“I’m very worried about my family,” she explained. “Why are they trying to send us home in these conditions?”

The town handed out forms for residents to authorize the removal of fridges and freezers where possible, but Baker didn’t know the extent of the hazard she and her family would be walking into.

“Everything in the house needs to be washed or thrown away.”

She also didn’t know she was going to keep her two-year-old granddaughter’s milk cold.

“I don’t even want to think about it. Just thinking about it hurts my heart,” said Baker.

She got word Thursday afternoon. The town, which is overseen by a third-party consulting company, is now delaying the return due to these very concerns.

Baker says she’s happy, but this should have been the case in the first place.

A notice from the town posted online says a plan is being worked on to replace refrigerators, but the Red Cross said they are not providing refrigerator replacements at this time.

A meeting on Friday morning aims to give residents more answers, and while that issue is addressed, the family faces another uncertainty. Baker says they rely on fishing as their income and a source of food, and they’ve lost out on that for the past two months. The province and Red Cross say they’re both working on further support.