B.C. Wildfire Service has issued an update on the blaze burning near Lytton in B.C.’s Southern Interior is not as large as it thought, mapping it at 2,193 hectares as of Saturday night.
The Nohomin Creek was previously listed at 2,503 and the Service says the change reflects more accurate mapping.
The 10-day-old blaze is classified as out of control, but BC Wildfire says quieter fire behaviour was observed on Friday, allowing crews to progress on containment and contingency lines.
“Temperatures will continue to rise, and humidity may decrease into the coming week, which could challenge crews by causing an increase in fire behaviour,” BCWS said in its Saturday update.
“Steep terrain continues to challenge crews by limiting access to portions of the fire. Helicopters are being used to transport crews to the worksite, which reduces travel time and increases crew hours on the fire.”
The fire started on Thursday, July 14, and quickly grew to 1,500 ha., before growing to eclipse 2,000 ha. Burning around 1.7 kilometres northwest of Lytton, it’s believed to have destroyed at least six buildings and evacuation alerts and orders issued last week are still in effect.
BCWS said the fire’s east flank underwent an aerial infrared scan. That scan will be used to help identify hot spots.
According to BCWS statistics, there are 37 active fires throughout the province, including 24 new ones in the last two days.
In the Kamloops fire district, which includes the Okanagan, there are four fires, including the Nohomin Creek blaze.
There are two in the Coastal fire district, five in the Prince George fire district, seven in the Northwest fire district and 19 in the Southeast fire district.
Of those, five small fires are in a cluster around 24 to 26 kilometres northwest of Castlegar.
BC Wildfire’s website features an interactive map that shows the location and details of all active wildfires throughout the province.