Many Fort McMurray residents are starting to return home, but for some their home is severely damaged or demolished and going back to normal is not an option at this point. There are still restricted areas in Wood Buffalo, and these include all or parts of Waterways, Beacon Hill, and Abasand. These neighborhoods were hardest hit and many of the structures are not safe to reside in or even visit without professional assistance. Residents who live in these neighborhoods will have an opportunity to visit their property and possibly even recover some items, but they must be escorted into the restricted areas by disaster response teams. Residents will not be digging into the debris of their former residences, Team Rubicon volunteers will do the digging for them. These professionals are trained in safely working in environments that are toxic.

Residents who need to enter restricted areas must make arrangements to be accompanied by disaster response teams. Anyone whose home has been destroyed can call the Pulse Line to book an appointment at 780-743-7000. Residents whose homes were not completely destroyed and are still standing do not need an appointment to visit their property but they must come to the security checkpoint on or after June 8, 2016, and they will be required to show identification and proof of residency. Those whose homes were destroyed but that are located outside of the restricted areas can also use Team Rubicon volunteers to search the debris by making an appointment through the Pulse line as well.