As wildfire crews make progress on Embleton Mountain fire, Sun Peaks reopens its doors

Photo: Sun Peaks Resort

Biking, hiking and sightseeing will be back on the agenda for many this weekend in Sun Peaks, which plans to reopen on Saturday following a closure due to the nearby Embleton Mountain fire.

Sun Peaks is once again open for business.

The mountain resort closed briefly due to the nearby Embleton Mountain fire, which is still burning out of control, but will reopen on Saturday now that officials have downgraded an evacuation order for Whitecroft and rescinded an alert for some properties in Heffley Lake.

Biking, hiking, sightseeing, golf, restaurants and hotels will reopen on Saturday, according to a news release Friday from Tourism Sun Peaks.

"We reduced our mountain operations temporarily and shifted our focus to prepare for different scenarios," said Aidan Kelly, CMO of Sun Peaks Resort.

"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 BC Wildfire Service said firefighting gear will be moved from areas where it isn’t needed, but crews will continue to patrol.

The Embleton Mountain fire is still estimated at 920 hectares in size.

According to the wildfire service, the current goal for crews is to extinguish the entire perimeter 50 feet inward, while continuing to monitor hot spots.

Two unit crews will work on the 50-foot goal on Friday, and the BC Wildfire Service said it plans to release one of the crews on Saturday based on expected work load.