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Evacuation order, some alerts lifted in landslide-threatened Old Fort, B.C.

Residents of more than 50 properties had been ordered to leave Oct. 7
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A slow-moving landslide is seen inching down a hillside in northern British Columbia, prompting the evacuation of nearby Old Fort, B.C. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-B.C. Ministry of Forests and Lands, Marten Geertsema)

Most residents of the Old Fort threatened by a slowly-moving landslide are still waiting to find out when they can return home, but a handful have received positive news.

More than 50 properties in the community just south of Fort St. John were ordered evacuated Oct. 7, one week after a steep hillside above the homes had begun to slump, which ripped out the only road and cut power.

The Peace River Regional District has lifted an evacuation order covering one home near the hilltop, and alerts have been entirely rescinded for 12 other properties along two edges.

But most homes, clustered along the banks of the Peace River at the foot of the slide area, remain under evacuation while residents wait for a geotechnical report.

READ MORE: Some residents of landslide-threatened Old Fort stage brief protest

That report was due last week but was delayed when the provincial government handed over a large amount of data to the engineering firm doing the work.

Once the geotechnical study is submitted, it will be sent for reviews, and the regional district will use it when deciding the next step for Old Fort Residents.

(MooseFM)

The Canadian Press

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