Mudslide evacuation order remains for 6 Kaslo, B.C. families

The threat of further slides is keeping six families out of their homes in southeastern B.C., but residents of41 other properties were allowed to return Tuesday night.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay downgraded anevacuation order late Tuesday affecting nearly four dozen homes inthe Kootenay Lake community of Kaslo, about 700 kilometres east ofVancouver.

• Kaslo landslide leads to evacuation of 47 homes

A flight over the hillside above the area showeda 100metre-long, 75 metre-wide slide had occurred Monday night and theedge of the debris had stopped just 300 metres above the nearesthomes.

A post on the regional district's web page also says engineerssaw a small amount of earth movement on Tuesday and the groundremains unstable.

Although the evacuation order was lifted for most of the affectedproperties, the regional district says residents in those homesremain under evacuation alert and must be ready to leave on shortnotice.

Engineers blame the slide on recent heavy rains and the melting of an usually heavy snowpack.