THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - A forest fire threatening a small northern Saskatchewan town has driven most residents to safety in Fort Smith, where they have been welcomed with open arms.

In all, 71 people from Uranium City, Sask., found shelter in the NWT, including 65 residents and six diamond drillers working near the community.

Lena Paquette, left, and Linda Shott - two evacuees from Uranium City, Sask. - sit at a picnic table outside Fort Smith's Breynat Hall. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"They're doing everything for us," said evacuee Linda Shott of the welcome in Fort Smith. "It's pretty cool."

Allen Augier, another evacuee, said the community has treated the displaced people of Uranium City very well.

"We wouldn't have got this treatment anywhere else," Augier said.

Most of the evacuees arrived on flights on June 7 and 8. The drillers arrived on June 11.

While they appreciate the welcome in Fort Smith, the evacuees are worried about their homes and want to go back as soon as possible.

"It was scary," Lena Paquette said of the experience of being forced to leave because of fire.

"We even cried to see all the smoke coming. It was pretty sad."

Shott said, when she flew out, the forest fire was very near the airport, which is about 10 km outside of Uranium City.

She was worried about the forest fire entering the community, located 48 km south of the NWT/Saskatchewan border.

"Without Uranium City, where are we going to go?" she wondered.

In the middle of last week, the 7,200-hectare forest fire was two km away from Uranium City's airport.

About 16 residents, half of them firefighters, remained in the community.

The evacuees kept up to date on the fire situation through calls to the people who remained behind.

Late last week, the evacuees were still in Fort Smith, although there were hopes of possibly returning home over the weekend.

The housing of the evacuees in Fort Smith was arranged by Roy Scott, the municipality's senior administrative officer and co-ordinator of the town's emergency measures organization.

Almost all of the displaced people stayed at Breynat Hall, a student residence of Aurora College.

"In terms of housing, the college opened up its doors," Scott said.

Five people stayed at private residences.

One of the Fort Smith residents who helped out was Ann Heron, who is originally from Uranium City.

Heron, who is related to many of the evacuees, took two people into her home.

Heron was pleased with how the people of Fort Smith welcomed the evacuees.

As for why the evacuees came North instead of being moved to another community in Saskatchewan, Scott said the province is being inundated with fires.

Plus, Fort Smith is just 25 minutes away by air.

"It was just more expedient," Scott said.

In 2006, people from Uranium City were evacuated to Prince Albert because of a forest fire.

The cost of hosting the evacuees will ultimately be covered by the province of Saskatchewan.