Wildfire evacuees struggle with accommodations, fear after being forced out of their homes in northern B.C.
More than 2,900 evacuees have registered in Prince George, B.C.
Evacuees from all over B.C. fleeing wildfires in their regions have found refuge in Prince George, B.C., but many have had a difficult time finding appropriate living quarters.
Bev Tashoots, a Prince George resident whose family was evacuated from the Grassy Plains area, told CBC Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk that she had tried to plan ahead: she was on her way to evacuate her family while the evacuation was still an alert, but while she was on her way it turned to an order.
Because there was very little notice given to potential evacuees, Tashoots said there wasn't enough time to make arrangements for people looking for a place to stay.
"Last minute was just very hectic," she said.
When she got her elderly mother and other family members suffering from serious medical conditions to Prince George, she said the first motel they were put up in was under renovation, and conditions were not comfortable.
"The very first motel they put us up in … they were under renovation. There was no TV, no telephone, no shower curtains, drywall all over the place. Nuts and bolts and nails all over the driveways there."
Tashoots says her family members have since been relocated to more suitable hotels, but conditions aren't ideal: her mother, who is afraid of elevators, is on the ninth floor of her hotel.
Sharon Ketlo, who left her home on the Nadleh reserve outside of Fort Fraser, says she's been fortunate enough to be able to stay with her daughter in Prince George. Her daughter's landlord allowed her to have two extra family members and their four pets to stay in her rental during this ordeal.
While Ketlo knows she's been fortunate to have somewhere to sleep, it's been a troubling experience.
"At first, you're very anxious. You're lost," Ketlo said.
"You spend every moment of the day thinking about it. You're trying to be happy. You're trying to enjoy things, and deep down, all you want to do is go home and sit on your own deck with a cup of coffee. It's nice to be here and it's really nice to have a place to go. It's just ... it's been long."
Only commercial accommodations being sought
More than 2,900 evacuees have registered in the city, according to Mayor Lyn Hall.
"It's eerily the same as 2017, just a lot of desperation, and people are very very concerned and upset," he said.
During the 2017 wildfires, Prince George took in thousands of evacuees, but that year the emergency operations centre had set up cots for people unable to find suitable accommodations. This year, the city decided to use commercial lodging.
"We have a number of families that are here as evacuees, and the group lodging, where you have all the cots set up, isn't really conducive to a good situation for them," Hall said.
"If someone gets there and can't find a place to stay, the emergency operations centre will help."
With files from The Early Edition and Daybreak North