"Initially, they had planned that Williams Lake residents would go north to Prince George, but Mr. Richmond says flames crossed that highway, and the majority of evacuees were diverted south towards Kamloops."

I do not understand why these people could not have been sent to Prince George where services are not stretched as they are in Kamloops.

Once people get to highway 5 they have the choice to go north to Prince George or south to Kamloops.   I get that it is much closer to Kamloops, but the folks from 100 Mile House were sent north to Prince George on the same route.