Crews begin stabilizing rock that led to 25 homes being evacuated in Penticton, B.C.

An evacuation order remains in place Wednesday for 25 homes in the Southern Interior community of Penticton, B.C., due to fears of a potential rock slide.

The city says it was notified on Tuesday morning about a large rock that may break off a cliff, and a geotechnical engineer's review prompted the evacuation of the properties.

Some residents of Pleasant Valley Mobile Home Park will have to remain out of their homes for a while longer, with emergency support services extended for another day.

The City of Penticton says crews have begun the process of stabilizing the rock — with the first step being to raise a retaining wall to protect the community from further damage.

"We are working as fast as we can to get people home," said Brittany Seibert, the city's emergency program coordinator. "We don't enjoy having people evacuated from their homes, but we do it to ensure the safety of our residents."

Seibert said a geotechnical assessment of the precarious rock has been completed, and the next steps in buttressing the rock would happen once the retaining wall was fully raised.

The city says in a statement that 37 people have registered to receive emergency support services.

It added that they may be able to reduce the size of the evacuation order once the wall has been raised, but a decision will not be made until Thursday.

One of the people who has had to leave their home is Kerry Moss, who says he's lived in the community for years. He is currently living at a hotel.

When asked if he knew how long he would be out of his home, Moss said he didn't have a clue.

"It's anybody's guess. It could be ... tomorrow and it could be how long it takes to get the rock down," he said. "It's hard to say."

The City of Penticton says that anyone who needs to register for emergency support services can do so by calling 250-328-8749 or by emailing ess@penticton.ca.