Some evacuees are now returning home to communities that feel far different. >> You will find the landscape has has changed due to the fire and many homes uh along the highway have burned. So, it does really change uh your expectation of of a return home. And many people are not going to be returning home. >> Roaring wildfires around the community of Clinton have forced people out of their homes for around 3 weeks and going back isn't easy. Nikolas Kasaboski is now reopening his cafe. >> We want to make sure that the community has somewhere to go. Uh it is going to be a real challenge in these first few days. >> Many BC evacuees are returning to areas that remain on alert. Further south in Summerland, residents in about 400 properties in the Trout Creek neighborhood are the first to return home. >> I think that our houses here are very safe. I I think that the alert is more so uh if we get cut off and we can't escape in any directions. And if we got to pick up and go, we'll just pick up and go. There's There's people that are in far worse shape than we are. >> There is a lot of emotions that are going through our our uh us and um I think there will be for a while. This is a great community and I think that we will pull together and we will support each other. >> A re-entry guide online suggests some homes and properties don't have power and the district is still under a boil water notice. People are advised to have cleaning supplies, get rid of all spoiled food, have a first aid kit and a camera to record the property's condition for insurance purposes. More than 12,000 people fled their homes in Summerland. The mayor says the district is focused on a phased re-entry. >> We're looking at returning more people tomorrow and and hopefully um as the week progresses more and more each each day. We know uh quite a few homes have been damaged and and a lot more um you know, farm farm buildings, uh barns and and sheds. >> He says it's not clear how many structures and livelihoods have been lost. Thousands of residents still looking to return home, recover, and rebuild. Balpreet Bains, CBC News, Abbotsford.