Update, 3 p.m.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has expanded an evacuation order issued on behalf of the Village of Lytton in response to the Saw Creek wildfire.
Three additional addressed properties within the Village of Lytton boundaries have been newly-placed on evacuation order. This order is now in place for approximately 50 addressed properties in the Village of Lytton.
Impacted properties are east of Highway 1, including Ponderosa Heights, and south of (but not including) Kumsheen ShchEma-meet school.
Anyone in the described area must leave immediately. An Emergency Support Services reception centre has been set up in Kamloops at McArthur Island Park (1655 Island Parkway).
The TNRD has also expanded an evacuation order in Electoral Area “I” to include two unaddressed properties, while an expanded evacuation alert issued by the TNRD includes a further two unaddressed properties.
Highway 1 remains closed from Boston Bar to Ashcroft.
Update, 11:45 a.m.
An update on the Saw Creek wildfire states that the fire, currently assessed at 600 hectares, has not crossed the Fraser River or Lytton Creek.
The wind has shifted, and is blowing from north to south. The fire is exhibiting Rank 2 and 3 behaviour but is described as “not aggressive.”
BC Wildfire Service crews are focusing their attention on the fire’s southern perimeter.
Highway 1 remains closed between Boston Bar and Cornwall Road (Ashcroft), with detours available via Highway 97C or Highway 5. Drivers are warned that Highway 8 between Spences Bridge and Merritt is not available as a detour route.
Crews are trying to get Highway 1 reopened, but there is no word yet as to when that might happen. Drivers can check DriveBC for updates.
There are currently 163 BCWS personnel on site, working 24/7. Nine helicopters have been activated, and air tankers are supporting firefighting operations.
Helicopter night vision was used overnight on June 19–20, and will be used again overnight on June 20–21.
June 19 saw the temperature in Lytton reach a high of 33 C, with wind gusts of up to 67 km/h and clear skies. The forecast high for Saturday is 27 C, with a 40 per cent chance of showers in the late afternoon.
Original story
The Saw Creek wildfire near Lytton is sized at 600 hectares as of Saturday morning (June 20).
The wildfire was discovered on June 19 and was initially noted as 10 hectares in size. Within a couple of hours it had jumped to 100 hectares, and later in the evening it was marked as 200 hectares by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). The latest update at 9:14 a.m., June 20, puts the wildfire at 600 hectares.
The fire is suspected by the BCWS to be human caused.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has issued a state of local emergency for the Village of Lytton along with an evacuation order and evacuation alert.
The evacuation order went into effect at 10 p.m. Friday and affects about 47 properties in the Village of Lytton.
Impacted areas are:
- Properties east of Highway 1 within Village boundaries, including Ponderosa Heights
- Any other properties as outlined on the attached map
The evacuation alert impacts about 168 properties in the Village of Lytton.
A map released by the TNRD outlines the areas of the order and alert.
Emergency Support Services are available at the ESS Reception Centre at the Battlefield Community Hall at 1756 Battlefield Rd. The Evacuee Registration and Assistance tool can be found here.
The Village of Lytton posted evacuation information to social media at 11:39 p.m. Friday.
They say that people who don’t have safe accomodations available or other critical life safety supports can report to the Kamloops Emergency Support Services Reception Centre at 1655 Island Parkway, McArthur Island Park. The location will be open as of 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Those who have been evacuated and have found safe accommodations with friends or family are urged to travel safely and register at ess.gov.bc.ca.
The Village of Lytton also issued a boil water notice for the village, IR 17 and IR18.
An update from BCWS on the morning of June 20 notes that there are 130 BCWS firefighting personnel, as well as members from Lytton Fire and Rescue, battling the blaze, along with nine helicopters and structure protection crews. Fire departments from beyond Lytton have been called to support the incident, including firefighters and equipment from Clearwater, Barriere, Loon Lake, Clinton, and Chilliwack.
BCWS says the fire is burning at Rank 2, meaning a surface fire with visible open flame and an unorganized flame front. Hot and dry conditions have made fuels highly susceptible to ignition.
“While temperatures will be a few degrees cooler today, there is still potential for increased fire activity throughout the day,” BCWS notes.
“Crews are working along the northwest and south flanks of the fire to establish control lines while helicopters assist with bucketing operations to decrease fire behaviour.”
In their 6:45 p.m. update on Friday, the BCWS marked the blaze at Rank 4 and 5, which meant it was a highly to extremely vigorous surface fire with an organized crown fire and moderate to long-range spotting. Saturday’s update marks a decrease in the severity rank.
Highway 1 has been impacted by the blaze, with 116.7 km between Cottonwood Road in Boston Bar and Cornwall Road in Ashcroft being closed in both directions. In their last update at 12:52 a.m. early Saturday morning, DriveBC noted that Highway 5 and Highway 97C could be used as alternative routes.
People from the Lytton region have been posting to social media about the fire.
On Friday at 11:34 p.m., Trevor Vince Robinson posted to the Lyttonites Facebook group.
“It’s safe to say, after our town went up in flames, all the surrounding communities of Lytton have built up their emergency preparedness for any fires since and to come,” he said.
He noted a number of firefighting apparatus they had on standby along with the assistance from the Chilliwack Fire Department.
“I’ve seen on some pages, like the Coquihalla highway road conditions, random people saying that we should abandon Lytton. Nah, this is our home. This has been our people’s history and to go from small town living to a bigger town or city… rent will be too much for most. So we learn new ways to be ready for the next fire,” Vince Robinson said.
“For those on standby tonight, be safe.”
This wildfire incident came 11 days and five years after the Lytton Creek wildfire burned over 83,000 hectares, killed two people, destroyed 90 per cent of the village, before being officially contained in early August of 2021.
READ MORE: Wildfire of note near Lytton grows to 200 hectares, evacuation order issued