Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality remained on evacuation alert as of Tuesday, July 13, for all properties within the municipal boundary due to the potential threat of the nearby Embleton Mountain wildfire.
“The wildfire remains at 280 hectares this morning with no growth reported overnight,” advised Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality Emergency Operations Centre on Monday, “There is a 20 person BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crew on site, supported by heavy equipment and four helicopters today. Sun Peaks Fire Rescue monitored the fire overnight and remain on site this morning.”
Whitecroft remains under an evacuation order from the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) and nearby properties in the Heffley Lake area remain under an evacuation alert due to the Embleton Mountain wildfire.
Two additional evacuation alerts were issued Monday for properties north and south of Whitecroft. As of Tuesday officials were asking anyone who is not a full-time resident to refrain from coming to Sun Peaks at this time.
The section of Sun Peaks Road from Whitecroft to Sun Peaks was currently open for travel to full time residents only. All key Sun Peaks Resort LLP mountain operations remain closed.
The North Thompson Fall Fairgrounds in Barriere is once again housing evacuated livestock from areas under evacuation orders or alerts. They can be found on Facebook under: NTA-EVAC (North Thompson Agriplex Livestock Evacuation Centre) or if you need to move animals immediately call Kevin at 250-682-2834 or Kristina at 250-674-8105.
As of Tuesday afternoon, at 6 p.m. the Thompson Nicola Regional District advised that the evacuation order and alert for the area remained in effect, and BC Wildfire posted that the Embleton Mountain wildfire is now 7 km west of Sun Peaks and has grown to 466 hectares. The fire growth is now up slope and moving away from Whitecroft and is still classified as out of control.