The Thompson-Nicola Regional District could downgrade some evacuation orders put in place due to the Bush Creek East fire over the Labour Day long weekend.

“We’re optimistic that for Loakin-Bear Creek and for the properties on Little Shuswap, that we could be looking at moving those to an alert later this weekend,” Emergency Operations Centre Director Kevin Skrepnek said, during a public meeting Friday afternoon.

“We’ll have official word on that likely later today, if not early tomorrow.”

There are 12 properties on Loakin Bear Creek Road, and 11 boat access properties along Little Shuswap Lake Road that remain on evacuation order.

“In terms of the [75 properties in the Adams Lake area], south of the mill essentially to the Holding Road bridge, that is going to depend on progress from BC Hydro and MOTI, basically in terms of getting that road clear and safe,” Skrepnek added.

Last week, the TNRD said there were nine properties in the southern Adams Lake area that had some kind of structural impacts.

Another 85 structures on Skwla̓x te Secwepemcúl’ecw land were destroyed by the blaze, while the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District said that at least 131 structures within its jurisdiction were destroyed by the Bush Creek East Fire.

It also said Friday that some North Shuswap residents could be allowed to return home within the next two weeks.