Return planning after wildfire

Follow the current entry instructions

Alberta Health Services return guidance is a general resource for affected homes and yards. Actual local permissions, hazards and utility instructions govern access. A checked box in this site’s return planner is a record of your input, not an authorization.

If permission or a hazard question is unresolved, keep it unresolved. Do not enter to complete the checklist. An enquiry can describe the broad event and ask which assessment is needed next.

Keep the checklist tied to evidence

• Who authorized entry and what conditions apply?
• Which building areas remain restricted?
• What utility and equipment instructions apply?
• Which food/water notices or product decisions are needed?
• Which records can be collected safely?
• Who will establish the actual assessment scope?

Distinguish wildfire assessment from ordinary cleaning

AIHA’s published professional wildfire-assessment overview concerns surviving structures. The published S700 fire-restoration scope has limits around wildfire and exposure evaluation. Ask who has the appropriate role for the actual property question.

A broad building-cleaning proposal should state what it includes, what is excluded and what other expertise is required. Keep equipment, hazardous materials and individual health questions with their appropriate professionals.

Document a changed instruction

When permission, system advice or a work scope changes, record the date and source. Keep the latest instruction with earlier versions. Do not rely on an old return checklist after local conditions change.

References and scope

1. Returning after wildfire: restoring your home and yard — Alberta Health Services.
   UpdatedMay29 2026. General return and cleanup guidance; local permissions and property conditions govern entry.
2. Returning after wildfire: water and food safety — Alberta Health Services.
   Food and water safety after an event; follow local notices and product-specific advice.
3. Wildfire impact assessment technical guide, second edition — AIHA.
   Published overview for professional assessment of surviving buildings; not a homeowner sampling protocol.
4. ANSI/IICRC S700: fire and smoke restoration — IICRC.
   First edition2025; published scope only. Wildfire and exposure evaluation are not comprehensively addressed. The paid standard has not been reproduced.

Source links checked September30,2026. General guidance and original planning questions do not establish the condition, exposure risk or clearance of a property.