A localized state of emergency and evacuation order was issued in Prince George, British Columbia, on Saturday evening following an underground gas leak that city officials described as a direct threat to human life. Emergency responders, including Prince George Fire Rescue, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and FortisBC crews, secured the area and intentionally cut power to prevent potential ignition.
The initial evacuation zone, mandated by an emergency alert sent to residents, covered properties north of Fifth Avenue to Zion Lutheran Church and east of Tabor Boulevard. At 6:22 p.m. local time on March 14, emergency management officials reduced the perimeter. The updated evacuation order is now strictly limited to properties on Carrier Place, Carrier Avenue, and Explorer Crescent, allowing residents outside this localized footprint to return to their homes.
An emergency alert has been issued in Prince George due to a gas leak that officials say poses a threat to human life. https://t.co/IV271khuTy
— CBCbrief – CBC News headlines (@CBCbrief) March 15, 2026
The gas leak forced the immediate closure of nearby commercial properties, including a Shell gas station and a McDonald’s at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Tabor Boulevard. Police established traffic barricades to block vehicular access through the affected corridor. Displaced residents were directed to a temporary emergency operations center at Zion Lutheran Christian Church on Tabor Boulevard. Tanya Spooner, the city’s manager of emergency programs, confirmed that while several dozen individuals initially sought shelter at the church, the majority of evacuees relocated to stay with friends or family while utility crews worked to mitigate the underground leak.
This localized event highlights the infrastructure vulnerabilities common in municipal utility grids across the world.