Evacuees in La Ronge can return home as wildfire evacuation order is lifted, but government response criticized.

About 7,000 residents in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, can return home on Thursday after a wildfire evacuation order was lifted. Essential service workers were allowed to return earlier. However, Saskatchewan's ombudsperson criticized the provincial government's wildfire response, stating that it failed to provide immediate food, shelter, and basic information to evacuees. The province is dealing with 22 wildfires, forcing thousands to flee, leading both Manitoba and Saskatchewan to declare states of emergency.