KELOWNA, British Columbia, July 22 (UPI) -- Canadian fire officials said the remaining 5,000 people evacuated from their British Columbia homes by wildfires could return home Wednesday.
Jason Johnson, Emergency Operations Center director, broke the news at a media conference in Kelowna in the south-central part of the province, the Vancouver Sun reported.
"It has been a difficult few days and the emergency isn't over, but the news that the Glenrosa and Rose Valley fires are close to full containment is most welcome," he said.
Sunday, more than 11,000 people were ordered to flee and on Tuesday, 6,000 of them were allowed to return. All of them however, remain under evacuation alert should the fires suddenly worsen, the report said.
Of three wildfires burning, two were 80 percent contained by Wednesday morning, officials said. However, a third in a more remote area was only 20 percent contained and had consumed 4,500 acres, the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said despite their best efforts, at least 10 cases of looting were reported by the first group who returned home Tuesday.
