An evacuation alert has been issued for all properties within the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort municipal boundaries because of the Embleton Mountain wildfire.

The fire, burning about 7 km west of Sun Peaks, broke out two days ago, on July 9, but it grew significantly yesterday to its current estimated size of 290 hectares.

Evacuation orders were issued for the village of Whitecroft yesterday while an evacuation alert was also issued for properties around Heffley Lake.

An evacuation alert was also issued today affecting three properties southeast of Whitecroft. Another 11 properties north of Whitecroft were also put on evacuation alert.

Residents in Sun Peaks are being told to get ready to evacuate the community, should it be needed, using Sun Peaks Road to Heffley Louis Creek Road towards Kamloops.

An alternate evacuation route is available via the McGillivray Lake Forestry Road, should it be needed.

People who are not full-time residents of Sun Peaks were told to stay away yesterday with a road block set up at Lake Bay Road.

There are 24 BC Wildfire personnel on scene battling the Embleton Mountain fire along with three helicopters and heavy equipment. Sun Peaks firefighters are also assisting the BC Wildfire Service.

Structure protection units are also on site in Whitecroft.

For more information regarding Sun Peaks, go here. For more information from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, go here.

There is now a roadblock set up on the road to #SunPeaks at Lake Bay Road a few km’s outside Whitecroft. When I went by it – it was not manned by RCMP and I was told vehicles were still being let through for the time being – but that could change at a moment notice. pic.twitter.com/8CatOaMXPj

— Brett Mineer (@MineerBrett) July 11, 2021