Crews continue to make progress on Coquitlam mudslide cleanup, city says

A massive amount of dirt and debris that partially buried homes is being cleared by crews who are hoping the weather won’t further interfere with efforts.

Crews continued to make steady progress Tuesday clearing debris from a mudslide in Coquitlam, B.C., last week, despite concerns over more rain.

Jaime Boan, Coquitlam’s general manager of engineering and public works, said work was brought to a halt for a period of time after some rain, but things continue to head in the right direction.

“We’ve had geotechnical experts assessing the site and the area and determining when it’s safe and when it’s not,” he said.

“They had given us a threshold in terms of rain, and that had been hit at a certain point,” Boan said.

The city said Friday that the slide had affected four homes and two industrial properties, and Coquitlam Search and Rescue had to airlift stranded residents and their pets out of the area.

On Tuesday Boan said they were able to clear the road of the debris, and while there’s more work to be done, including by BC Hydro and Telus, some residents could be able to return by the end of the week.

He said the cause of the landslide is still under investigation, but “extreme weather events” trigger landslide risks in upper mountainous areas, and they’re still waiting on a final report from geotechnical experts.

“There may be risk in the future; that’s something they will be clarifying for us through their report,” said Boan.

With files from the Canadian Press