Three weeks since a wildfire forced a mass evacuation of Jasper National Park, thousands of people forced from their homes will be allowed to return to the town on Friday, officials shared in a press briefing Monday morning.
However, as officials shared the date, they cautioned residents that the homecoming will be the start of a daunting ordeal.
"It's going to be a long process if you can imagine," Parks Canada officials said during the briefing. "Going to check on your home or business or your assets, and whether you will be able to stay in it will be a 'choose your own adventure.'"
"We hope that this first step brings some hope to the community."
All residents and business owners will be allowed to enter the park starting at 7 a.m. Friday morning when Highway 16, the highway running east to west through the national park, opens for the day.
However, residents were warned that accommodations and services in the town would be limited and even the homes that weren't damaged may not be habitable.
"It's more about a reconnaissance mission almost, if you will, to go see what's there," said Christine Nadon, incident commander with the municipality of Jasper.
"You might be able to stay, but you might not. And for anyone who has a house on the west side, there's a greater chance of internal damage to the property."
Residents can choose to move back to the community — but should not assume they will want to spend the night, even if their properties are intact, she said.
Many buildings that remain standing in the hardest hit areas of the townsite were severely damaged by the smoke and flames, she said.
A state of emergency within the municipality remains in effect. The evacuation order in effect throughout the park will likely be downgraded to an evacuation alert and residents who return need to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice if the risk of the flames flares once again, officials said.
