The evacuation of Williams lake Saturday night went smoothly, despite hours-long traffic backups as people headed south, Mayor Walt Cobb says.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really pleased with the amount of patience and the good thoughts people had,B次元官网网址� Cobb told Black Press in an interview Sunday morning. B次元官网网址淎pparently we got everybody to where they needed to go, safe and sound with no incidents along the way.

B次元官网网址淭he big lineups were gone by midnight last night. So it went extremely well.B次元官网网址�

The evacuation order was triggered Saturday, not by a direct threat to the community but fire closing in on Highway 97 north to Prince George, where the original evacuation plan was to send residents. Cobb said the northern route was reopened Saturday night.

B次元官网网址淭he fire jumped the road and it was on both sides of the road so we couldnB次元官网网址檛 go north, so we figured weB次元官网网址檇 better evacuate before we had no access to get out,B次元官网网址� Cobb said. B次元官网网址淲e were told in one of our conference sessions that there was a two-hour window of opportunity to get people north, so we were directing traffic north, and then I understand it stayed open most of the night.B次元官网网址�

The fires closest to Williams Lake remain more than a kilometre away and did not come any closer overnight. The situation to the west of the community on Highway 20 is more urgent, with Alexis Creek and TlB次元官网网址檈ntinqox t-in First Nation (Anaham) also under evacuation order.

B次元官网网址淭hey all had to come through Williams Lake, because weB次元官网网址檙e the hub here, and Alexis Creek and all those people had to come through Williams Lake and thatB次元官网网址檚 what caused a big part of the traffic problem,B次元官网网址� Cobb said.B次元官网网址淚t took over eight hours to get from Williams Lake to Kamloops, and thatB次元官网网址檚 normally no more than a three-hour trip.B次元官网网址�

Elders and children have been evacuated from Anaham, with other residents .

Williams Lake isnB次元官网网址檛 completely empty.

B次元官网网址淚 have seen a couple of vehicles drive around,B次元官网网址� Cobb said. B次元官网网址淭im Hortons is open today, which is good because we have 150 RCMP in town, so youB次元官网网址檝e got to keep them supplied.B次元官网网址�