Williams Lake, B.C., declares state of local emergency, 4 homes evacuated

The area subject to the evacuation alert is shown in this map provided by the City of Williams Lake. (williamslake.ca)

Williams Lake, B.C. -

Four homes in a Williams Lake, B.C., group of duplexes have been ordered evacuated and the remainder are on evacuation alert over concerns about their structural integrity.

In a statement late Friday, the city says it's declaring a state of local emergency as a “precautionary measure” related to the complex known as Terra Ridge.

Emergency operations director Evan Dean says the four properties were initially issued “do not occupy” orders on Sept. 15 in response to an engineering report procured by the strata.

He says the report focused on the units' structural integrity and found that they were not habitable.

Dean says the city will now bring in a geotechnical engineer and get a structural assessment done on all 80 units in the complex.

He says the evacuation alert was put in place so that everyone in the complex would be aware of what is going on and not caught off-guard.

The city says it has notified all relevant agencies and is working with provincial emergency management to address the situation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2023.