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Cracking at Old Fort slide in B.C. prompts evacuation order

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Residents of Old Fort sue B.C. government and others in lawsuit landslides
RELATED: Residents of Old Fort sue B.C. government and others in lawsuit landslides – Jan 20, 2021

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.

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.

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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.

In 2018, a landslide damaged the only road in and out of Old Fort and prompted evacuations of the community of 150 residents.

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“Geotechnical teams continue to assess the area. We will provide another update as more information becomes available,” reads a social media post from The Peace River Regional District.

Those who didn’t evacuate have been told to get to safety and avoid the landslide area.

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