Residents of a community in northeastern B.C. were ordered out of their homes late Monday due to the risk of a landslide.
Those in the area of the historic Old Fort slide were to head to the Pomeroy Sports Centre in the city of Fort St. John.
According to Ryan Harvey, the Communications Manager with the City of Fort St. John, 75 residents have registered at the Pomeroy Sports Centre.
The Peace River Regional District earlier issued an evacuation order due to “immediate danger to life safety” after reported cracking at the site of the historic Old Fort slide, about five kilometres south of Fort St. John.
The regional district has declared a state of local emergency because of the risk.
Officials earlier closed the road, but temporarily reopened it for two hours so people could leave.
They said once the road closed again, it would not reopen and that supports or emergency services would not be provided for those who chose not to leave.
Some residents may not have evacuated from an area at risk, prompting the regional district to warn those stranded to conserve their supplies and avoid the slide area.
Emergency services will be “limited” now that the road has been closed again, and the district says local government is working with the province to determine next steps as “geotechnical teams are continuing to assess the area.”
The community of 150 residents has been the site of previous landslide threats over the last decade, including a slide in 2018 that damaged the only road accessing Old Fort and led to another evacuation.
With files from The Canadian Press