With Williams Lake now under an evacuation alert, the City of Prince George could be seeing thousands of more evacuees this week.
Wednesday’s weather forecast in the Cariboo includes windy conditions, which could potentially spread the wildfires toward the city.
Mayor Lyn Hall says he’s not worried about housing the evacuees as a collective group as school gyms continue to open up.
“This is going to put a real demand on our resources, but when you talk about the magnitude of the potential amount of people coming into the city, the amount of resources needed for individuals and personnel starts to become very huge.”
He predicts the number of needed volunteers will likely exceed the 4,500-mark set at the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
Councillor Jillian Merrick says PG is in constant communication with all emergency outlets in ensuring a smooth transition for those heading North.
“The reality is we will deal with this as best we can. We have a very generous community, and we have very generous neighbours as well. Quesnel is not on evacuation alert either, so we’re all in it together and we’re all doing the best we can.”
She adds Smithers and Vanderhoof have also reached out to lend resources if needed.
For more information on the Williams Lake evacuation alert, you can click here.