FORT ST. JOHN -- The Evacuation Support Centre in Fort St. John has already assisted 1400 evacuees since opening its doors Friday, and continues to deal with a backlog of evacuees.

“We are currently dealing with about a backlog of about 200 or so properties,” said Ryan Harvey, Information Officer for the City of Fort St. John.

Currently, there are 30 Emergency Support volunteers assisting evacuees at the North Peace Arena, where a reception centre was established in collaboration with Emergency Management BC.

“We get notified that they'll be issuing an evacuation order and the supports required, and then we kind of go from there and staff up locally through volunteers and staff to meet those needs,” said Harvey.

When the centre was first activated, close to 40 volunteers worked to assist those forced from their homes due to wildfires raging out of control in Fort Nelson.

“It really just speaks to the volume and the amazingness of our community to come together and support those in need,” said Harvey.

The process, however, is receiving mixed reviews from evacuees.

While some praised the work of volunteers and the generosity of staff, others shared complaints on how the centre was organized.

“The whole thing is just disorganized and they just, they don't want to help people very much,” said one evacuee.

“I stayed at my sister's on the floor for the last three days and they give me $30 today for rooms,” continued the evacuee.

At the centre today, evacuees at the North Peace Arena described the harrowing ordeal trying to flee the fire: bumper-to-bumper traffic and driving through thick some as they made their way past the Buckinghorse River from Fort Nelson.

“We understand that it's impactful and that it's the process isn't as fast as anybody likes it to be,” said Harvey.

Many of the evacuees are now being urged to go to reception centres that have been set-up in Dawson Creek and Chetwynd.

The reception centre in Fort St. John will remain open from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. today and tomorrow to deal with an additional influx of evacuees after the Doig River First Nation issued an Evacuation Order.