Residents of Lytton, B.C. have been told to prepare for evacuation on short notice as an out-of-control wildfire burns nearby, while a boil water notice has also been issued due to concerns related to the blaze.
The Saw Creek wildfire, located about three kilometres south of Lytton, remains out of control and has grown to an estimated 600 hectares, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
“We did see some additional growth into the evening and overnight,” said Shaye Stearns, a fire information officer with the Kamloops Fire Centre.
While fire activity eased overnight, Stearns said crews are still expecting the blaze to expand.
The BC Wildfire Service says 130 personnel have been assigned to the incident, including 63 who worked overnight. Nine helicopters are also supporting firefighting efforts.
Stearns said crews focused overnight on protecting structures as winds shifted direction.
Environment Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks have also issued a yellow-level air quality warning for the southern Fraser Canyon, including Lytton, due to wildfire smoke.
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The agencies say the region is being impacted, or is likely to be impacted, by wildfire smoke over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Stearns said the fire is currently suspected to be human-caused, though the official cause remains under investigation.
“When it’s that suspected human cause, it could mean any number of things,” she said.
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The Village of Lytton is meanwhile advising local residents and those in IR 17 and IR 18 to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, ice-making, brushing teeth or preparing food.
The Lytton First Nation has also issued an evacuation alert for some of its residents.
Officials are also warning people to check driving conditions and travel safely.
“When you’re driving through and you can see fire, it does cause a lot of people to want to look because it’s not something they might often see, but it’s really important that you stay focused on driving and that you’re aware of the people that are working around you,” she said.
The village of Lytton was nearly destroyed after a devastating wildfire in June 2021 that killed two people.
– With files from Jace Maki and The Canadian Press
Maybe someone should suggest the government employ some proper managerial personal that have the capability to deal with these fires ..
Strange they still haven’t rebuilt yet with all the Eby hand outs
Eric Hughes moron of the century i
At this point someone is doing this on purpose!
So the Liberals are starting wildfires in Lytton again. I wonder for what reason do they want people out of there? Why is it they hate the people in that town so much? Maybe there’s a first nation downstream from there and they need to dump a few truckloads of mercury without anybody seeing?
Why is there never any information in these news reports? I could get more details from a social media newschasers group.
Chugs being chugs
Any news on what caused the 2021 fire yet ? Must be the longest fire investigation in the world’s history happened just around the time churches were being burnt down , no arrests no convictions for those fires either “strange”
A wild fire hey. How did it start we wonder. Every year there is fire near Lytton, wonder why? Wouldn’t be the ‘stewards’ and their matches now would it?