Northern B.C. community under evacuation alert could be trapped by landslide for several days
Residents of Old Fort have no power or way to get supplies into town
The northeastern B.C. town of Old Fort is under evacuation alert after being cut off by a landslide on Sunday.
The slide damaged the road that leads to the town, just south of Fort St. John and it could take several days before it is repaired.
Trish Morgan, director of the Peace River Regional District Emergency Operations Centre, said that around 50 homes are affected and an estimated 100 to 200 people.
Power has also been cut off to the Old Fort subdivision.
Danielle Pope with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said that landslide specialists were on site Monday afternoon.
"We are working around the clock to find a solution," her statement read in part.
"We want to assure the community that we are doing everything possible to open this road as soon as it's safe to do so."
No immediate threat to homes
Morgan said that people who have chosen to leave town are being transported to Fort St. John via bus and boat, and that those who don't have family or friends to stay with are being lodged in a hotel.
"Those who want to stay [in old Fort] at this time, we're allowing them to do so, but they have to be self-sufficient. Because of the road, there's just no ways to get supplies in and out," she said.
Morgan said the regional district is currently looking into whether supplies could be boated in to town.
She said there is no "immediate threat" to homes.
'Almost like lava'
Rodney Hafner, operations manager for Yellowhead Road and Bridge North Peace, which manages the road that has been damaged, said there are a couple of slides of this nature every year.
He said slides are caused by of slippery sandstone layers, which silt and soil slide off of easily.
"It's slow and it's creeping. It's very familiar to a lot of stuff we deal with, just on a larger scale than average," he said.
"It's slow moving, almost like lava flow. It just keeps pushing forward."
Hafner said lots of mud crept forward overnight, making even foot traffic in the area dangerous.
The slide is also about one kilometre from the eastern entrance to the Site C worksite.
Tanya Fish, a spokesperson for BC Hydro, said there is no evidence that the slide is related to work taking place on the project.
In a statement, she said the project said has not been affected and that work has continued.
With files from Andrew Kurjata