The British Columbia Wildfire Service is attacking a new wildfire just 1.7 kilometers outside Lytton, deploying multiple ground crews, helicopters and air tankers to control the spreading two-hectare blaze.
“Fire behavior is being affected by gusty winds in the area,” BCWS warned in a tweet Thursday afternoon. “This is a dynamic situation and updates will be provided as they become available.”
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BCWS reports that the Nohonim Creek fire started at 12:45 p.m. and the cause of the fire is unknown.
The fire is located on the west side of the Fraser River, across from the village of Lytton, which was destroyed by a raging wildfire just over a year ago.
#BCWildfire is responding to the Nohomin Creek wildfire (K70580) located approximately 1.7 km northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. The fire has an area of two hectares. Fire behavior is affected by gusty winds in the area. pic.twitter.com/qTIxrZfBsa
British Columbia Wildfire Service on Twitter: “The #BCWildfire Service is responding to the Nohomin Creek Wildfire (K70580) located approximately 1.7 km northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. The fire is estimated to be two hectares in size. Fire behavior is affected by gusty winds in the area. pic.twitter.com/qTIxrZfBsa / Twitter” Service is responding to the Nohomin Creek Wildfire (K70580) located approximately 1.7 km northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. The fire is two hectares in size. The behavior of the fire is being affected by gusty winds in the area. BC Wildfire Service on Twitter: “#BCWildfire Service is responding to the Nohomin Creek wildfire (K70580) located approximately 1.7 km northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. The fire is estimated to be two hectares in size. affected by gusty winds in the area. pic.twitter.com/qTIxrZfBsa / Twitter”
— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) BC Wildfire Service on Twitter: “The #BCWildfire Service is responding to the Nohomin Creek Wildfire (K70580) located approximately 1.7 km northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. The fire is estimated to be two hectares in size. Fire behavior is affected by gusty winds in the area. pic.twitter.com/qTIxrZfBsa / Twitter”
Homes and property on the west coast, part of the Lytton First Nation reserve, largely escaped any damage at the time.
Photos of this latest fire show a large plume of smoke rising from land, with structures in the fire’s path. The Lytton Ferry, currently out of service due to the high flow of the Fraser River, is nearby.
View from the east side near a gas station, looking west. Water bombers are already in place. pic.twitter.com/8t8I8nmqXn
View from the east side near a gas station, looking west. Water bombers are already in place. UBCIC on Twitter: “View from the east side near the gas station looking to the west side. The water bombers are now in place. pic.twitter.com/8t8I8nmqXn / Twitter”
— UBCIC (@UBCIC) UBCIC on Twitter: “View from the east side near the gas station looking to the west side. The water bombers are now in place. pic.twitter.com/8t8I8nmqXn / Twitter”
Road access to the area is limited. West Coast residents have been crossing the Fraser River on foot via a CN rail bridge for weeks.
BC Hydro’s website says power to the municipality of Lytton has been out since 1:16 p.m. Crews are expected to arrive at 5:15 p.m. There are currently 112 people without power.
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“The events of 2021 … are at the forefront of our minds”
Local and provincial officials reported the situation at 4:15 p.m
John Haugen, deputy chief of the Lytton First Nation, thanked authorities and residents for their quick response to the fire. He said there were evacuation orders for IR 23 Nohomin and Lytton IR9B.
“We have three elders who are in the direct line of this fire and we are working to make sure they are safe and that we can put the fire out as soon as possible,” Haugen said, adding that there are approximately nine people under orders to evacuation in his community.
A plume of smoke rises from a wildfire just two kilometers northwest of Lytton, on the west bank of the Fraser River. (Submitted by Britannia Glasgow)
“We are experiencing another fire… in the Hell Gate area. We have to be prepared for a lot of things on really short notice,” he said.
Rob Schweitzer, Kamloops fire center operations director, said there were about 54 crew members on the ground and the RCMP and local fire department also responded to the fire.
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“The events of 2021 and the impact on the Village of Lytton and the Lytton First Nation are at the forefront of our minds,” Schweitzer said.
“We ask for your respect and kindness as we report this incident. Our primary focus is the safety of the crews and residents currently affected.”
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Peter Brock, executive director of regional operations at Emergency Management BC, said he had heard unconfirmed reports that “three structures may have been lost.”
Brock said emergency assistance, including food, shelter and clothing, would be provided to people under evacuation orders for up to 72 hours.
“The most important thing the public can do right now is to prepare themselves and their families for any potential wildfires in your areas,” Brock said.
This article was originally published by CBC News on July 14, 2022.
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