Residents of a small community located northeast of Pemberton, B.C., have been instructed to evacuate immediately due to the imminent threat of flooding from a nearby glacial lake. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District issued the evacuation order on Thursday for approximately twenty-four properties in the Poole Creek and Gates Lake area of Birken, situated about 30 kilometers northeast of Pemberton.
Authorities have announced that the RCMP will oversee the evacuation process. The evacuation was prompted by the melting of Place Glacier into a neighboring lake, with the regional district specifying that once the lake’s depth reached 30 meters, the evacuation order would be issued. Sensors and cameras installed at the glacier have been continuously monitoring the lake levels.
The affected properties had been on evacuation alert since June 7, triggered by the lake reaching a depth of 24 meters, the same level observed during a previous outburst event last year. Notably, the lake also experienced outbursts in 2024 and 2025, with researchers estimating that approximately 100,000 cubic meters of water and debris cascaded down the mountain, diverting towards Gates Lake and Poole Creek.
The previous outbursts occurred on June 19, 2025, and July 21, 2024, raising concerns for the safety of the community. As Place Glacier continues to melt into the adjacent lake, authorities are closely monitoring the situation for further developments. Additional updates will be provided by the regional district.