Wildfires are still burning across B.C., 161 of them at latest count, but residents of 100 Mile House and Princeton are hearing some good news—they can head home.

Nearly two weeks after 100 Mile House and the surrounding areas were evacuated, the district is now open again. Officials are allowing everyone from the North end of Lac La Hache through the entirety of the District of 100 Mile House to return.

"We are definitely so happy to say welcome back home," 100 Mile House mayor Mitch Campsall said via Skype.

Although the evacuation order has been lifted, those homes will still be under an evacuation alert and residents should be prepared to leave again at a moment's notice.

"We want people to be prepared because the fires are still active in the area and we do not want a false [sense of] security," Campsall said. "You will be returning to an area that was profoundly impacted by wildfire."

Officials are warning those returning that services like groceries and healthcare will be limited. They advised residents to take a full tank of gas and basic necessities like food and prescription medications to last one week.

"The community that you return to will not be the same community that you left," Campsall said.

Further south, residents of Princeton are also being allowed back now that the Princeton fire is 100 per cent contained.

Princeton evacuees will be allowed to return via Highway 5, which remains closed to the public, according to RCMP.

Ottawa promises more money for B.C. wildfire evacuees

On Saturday afternoon, federal officials travelled to Kamloops and announced that Ottawa will be giving money to evacuees through the Canadian Red Cross.

They pledged a Red Cross donation that would to match the support that the B.C. provincial government has given to evacuees.

So far, 44,000 B.C. wildfire evacuees have registered with the Red Cross.

"This is still a very dangerous and difficult situation," Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said. "B.C. is just now beginning their fire season… We are facing a very difficult problem and are far from being out of the woods."

Firefighters, armed forces still helping battle wildfires

As of Saturday afternoon, there were 161 wildfires burning across B.C. Fourteen new ones appeared Friday—13 from lightning strikes and one in the Cariboo region that was human caused.

The largest of those fires is one burning near Hanceville which is burning over 132,351 hectares and is zero per cent contained. Crews have made headway on other fires like the Princeton fire and Gustafsen fire, which are 100 per cent contained and 90 per cent contained respectively.

The province has extended its state of emergency for the next two weeks, until Aug. 4.

Navi Saini, an information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, said on Saturday that 3,801 firefighters were involved in battling the fires across B.C.

An additional 250 members of the Canadian Armed Forces will also be assisting by relieving RCMP officers with checkpoint and security duties in affected areas, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan said.

"We will have more troops on standby if needed. We can have more air assets if needed," he said. "Our priority is to protect Canadians."

With files from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith and CTV National's Melanie Nagy.