The Peace River Regional District has issued evacuation orders and alerts for the small community of Old Fort in northeastern British Columbia following a significant landslide. The community, located approximately five kilometers south of Fort St. John, has been isolated after the landslide destroyed a section of Old Fort Road, according to officials.
State of Emergency Declared
Earlier this week, the regional district declared a local state of emergency, urging all residents of properties east of Old Fort Road to evacuate immediately, with the exception of the residence at 7711 Old Fort Road. The decision was made due to active and increasing ground movement that poses a potential danger to life and property.
In an update released on Friday, the district confirmed that the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation has closed the road, resulting in the complete isolation of the community. “There is no safe road access to or from the community,” the statement read. “The landslide remains active and unstable.”
Landslide Activity and Monitoring
Geotechnical staff from the Ministry of Transportation are currently on-site monitoring the situation. The active part of the landslide was observed moving at a rate of up to 10 millimeters per minute on Friday. Multiple reports indicate that the landslide is approximately 400 meters wide and has severely damaged a portion of the road.
This is not the first time the area has experienced such an event. In 2018, a landslide on Old Fort Road disrupted access to the community. Although the road was subsequently repaired, heavy rains in mid-June 2020 caused the slide to reactivate. The ministry later conducted a review of long-term solutions, evaluating alternative routes into Old Fort. The review concluded that the best course of action was to continue using the existing route while performing further geotechnical assessments to identify potential improvements.
Community Impact
Several other properties in the area have been placed under evacuation alerts, meaning residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. The regional district continues to provide updates as the situation evolves. For now, the community remains cut off, and authorities are urging everyone to heed the evacuation orders for their safety.
More information is expected as geotechnical teams assess the landslide’s movement and potential risks. The Ministry of Transportation has been contacted for further details regarding the scale of the landslide and any plans for road restoration.
