UPDATE: Residents of the Pembina-Manitou Health Centre are still waiting to return after evacuating the personal care home October 18.

Manitou Fire Chief Kris Reynolds explains an electrical fault in the facility's furnace caused a filter to catch fire.

While the problem has since been fixed, the 26 residents were dispersed to a number of different care homes within the region including Swan Lake, Crystal City and Carman while RHA staff inspect the facility.

Kristal McKitrick-Bazin, Director of Health Services for Pembina-Manitou and Swan Lake, explains they're optimistic the residents will be able to return in the next few days.

"Everyone's safe and that's the main thing," she says.

Local residents also commented on the situation praising firefighters and care home staff and residents for the cooperation and calm response.

"[I] cannot say enough good things about the staff at the care home," local resident Judy Webber says. "This was all handled so calmly, professionally [and] with so much care given to the patients as well as their families. Awesome staff, you all worked overtime, so well together, also big kudos to our awesome firefighters for such a great job as well."

"Everyone was safely transported elsewhere until things could get cleaned up," she adds. "What a great community we live in."

"It's the community, everyone bands together when they need to," Reynolds says.