Some residents forced from their homes west of Merritt by the Ainslie Creek wildfire are now being allowed to return after the Thompson-Nicola Regional District downgraded its evacuation order to an evacuation alert on Sunday. The evacuation order, first issued July 25 for 61 addressed properties west of Spius Creek, including Petit Creek Road and Prospect Creek Forest Service Road, was lifted following improved wildfire conditions. The decision marks another development for area communities affected by wildfire after evacuation alerts near the Guichon Creek wildfire west of Logan Lake were lifted to all clear earlier Sunday. Despite the easing of orders in the Spius Creek area, not all nearby communities have been able to return home. The Nooaitch Indian Band’s main reserve remains under evacuation order, while evacuation alerts continue for several nearby communities as firefighting efforts continue on the Brunswick Complex.