
The Embleton Mountain fire on July 10, 2021. (Photo: Tara Bouvette)
Good news for people living near the Embleton Mountain wildfire as all evacuation orders for Whitecroft have been lifted, while the evacuation alerts for Sun Peaks and Heffley Lake are no more.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District made those changes late Thursday evening.
In total, just over 150 properties are still on evacuation alert, including Whitecroft and properties north on Heffley-Louis Creek Road and south on Upper Louis Creek Road, according to the TNRD.
Sun Peaks Mayor Al Raine says hearing this news brought great relief to the community.
“People are very happy, although I think everyone knew the fire had calmed down quite a bit. But just to actually hear the words that you’re not on alert is good. And we feel great for the people of Whitecroft, to be able to get back in their homes. I’m sure they’re all very happy,” he told NL News.
“No homes lost, [firefighters] did a good job. The fire was very close to several dwellings. But a good job by all crews working on the fire.”
In an update this morning, the BC Wildfire Service says the Embleton Mountain remains at 920 hectares in size, and is still out of control though it has not grown in several days.
Crews are dousing hotspots today and extinguishing the fire’s perimeter 50 feet inwards. Structural protection units will remain available, if needed.
“I don’t ever like to give super concrete timelines but you know there’s probably at least a week’s worth of work for our unit crews there and then at that point, we’d reassess and see what its like going forward,” Information Officer Forrest Tower told NL News. “The status will most likely change in the next little bit here.”
“That is when we’ll look at getting some contractors in there to wrap up that work but much shorter of a timeline before we can change that status and recommend that the rest of those alerts and orders get lifted.”
The fire started on July 9, and grew from a spot fire to a much more significant blaze the following day. The cause is still not known.
Sun Peaks Resort Fully Reopening
Meanwhile, with the evacuation alert lifted, Sun Peaks Resort says it will be fully reopening all amenities to the public – including golf, biking, hiking, restaurants and other activities. Hotel accommodations will be open for guests as well.
“We reduced our mountain operations temporarily and shifted our focus to prepare for different scenarios,” Sun Peaks Resort Chief Marketing Officer, Aidan Kelly, said. “While there was limited imminent danger to Sun Peaks itself, we took a cautious approach. We’re now excited to have things up and running again.”
The Sunburst chairlift will be open regular hours this weekend along with mini golf and Market Day in the village. There are also plans are in place for the upcoming BC Day long weekend.
As with much of the Province, given that weather conditions remain challenging, guests are being told to be extra mindful to minimize potential risks.
“We’re pleased to be able to welcome guests back to enjoy the mountains,” Tourism Sun Peaks CEO, Arlene Schieven, said. “We owe a debt of gratitude for the incredible support from BC Wildfire Service, Sun Peaks Fire Rescue, firefighters assisting from other jurisdictions, and our community volunteers.”
Guests are also being told to check Drive BC for updates on Heffley-Louis Creek Road as there may still be delays because of the wildfire.
– With files from Victor Kaisar