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This file photo taken on May 7, 2016 shows flames and smoke rising off Highway 63 outside Fort McMurray, Canada.COLE BURSTON//AFP / Getty Images

Authorities have lifted mandatory evacuation orders for several oil sands work camps north of Fort McMurray, Alta., from which thousands of workers fled on Tuesday as wildfires approached.

Seven camps, including those attached to the Syncrude Canada Ltd. project and Suncor Energy Inc. base plant, can be reopened, according to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

A spokesman for the municipality, the local government that includes Fort McMurray, said there are still a number of work camps that remain off-limits due to the wildfire that has grown to more than 5,000 square kilometres and poor air quality.

In the past day, cool, wet weather has helped firefighters. The Alberta government said on Saturday that the inferno, which was nicknamed "the Beast," was held at about the same size as on Friday.

There are 1,860 firefighters, 189 helicopters, 306 pieces of heavy equipment and 29 air tankers battling the fire, the province said.

The city of Fort McMurray remains under a mandatory evacuation order that's been in place since the blaze burned about 2,400 structures in early May. Only work crews are allowed in currently. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said last week that residents will be able to return to the city starting on June 1 in a staged re-entry over 15 days.

On Saturday, the Alberta government released a tentative schedule for areas to be reopened to residents. The first zone includes the Lower Townsite, Anzac, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation, and Gregoire Lake Estates. People from neighbourhoods in other zones will be able start returning on each of the subsequent four days and beyond. The end of the re-entry period will coincide with the opening of the area's hospital, the government said.

Residents of homes destroyed in the fire will be able to inspect their properties and collect any items that may not have been damaged before cleanup begins, it said.

Early last week, 8,000 workers were moved from work camps as the fire neared oil sands operations. In the days before, the wildfire threat in the oil sands region north of Fort McMurray was thought to have dissipated.

The blaze destroyed the Blacksand Executive Lodge, a 665-room work camp owned by Horizon North Logistics Inc.

On Friday, Suncor said it planned to bring small numbers of employees back to its operations beginning as early as Monday in the first steps toward restarting production.

The fire that initially burned large parts of Fort McMurray has prompted energy companies to take than one million barrels a day of oil output off line. There have been no reports of major damage to production facilities, however.

The other work camps that can be reopened now include Millennium Lodge, Borealis Lodge, Hudson Lodge, Ruth Lake Lodge and Noralta Lodge, according to the municipality.

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Suncor Energy Inc
+0.99%49.99

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