Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., grows to 1,706 hectares, remains “out of control”

LYTTON, B.C. – British Columbia’s Wildfire Service says the wildfire nearly two kilometres northwest of Lytton, B.C., has grown to 1,706 hectares.

It says four unit crews, five initial attack crews, 19 Lytton First Nation firefighters, an incident management team and structure protection personnel are actively working to contain the fire that remains classified as “out of control.”

John Haugen, acting chief of the Lytton First Nation, says about 30 evacuees were able to briefly return home in an effort to salvage food they left behind when the wildfire broke out Thursday.

He says the fire destroyed six residences and triggered evacuation orders that forced a total of 97 people from his community and about 40 people from neighbouring areas out of their homes.

Haugen says hydro in the region isn’t expected to be restored for at least 10 days and because a timeline for when people may officially return to their properties has yet to be determined, rotting food would create another issue for residents.

Though he says some of the smoke has diminished, Environment Canada has maintained the special air quality advisory it issued for the Fraser Canyon due to the fire.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2022.