The Nohomin Creek Wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C., has grown following a prolonged shift to hot and dry weather.
Now mapped at 2,364 hectares, BC Wildfire said the fire’s activity will likely continue to increase with rising temperatures and falling relative humidity. High temperatures are stymieing the firefight itself with crews having to “take frequent breaks to prevent heat stress and exhaustion,” BC Wildfire noted in its Tuesday update.
“Aerial infrared scanning was conducted on the evening of July 24 on the eastern flank of the fire,” BC Wildfire said in its Tuesday writeup.
“(Tuesday), crews from the Lytton First Nation and the BC Wildfire Service continued to mop up any remaining hotspots identified by the infrared scan. Crews will continue to eliminate remaining hot spots.”
To date, BC Wildfire said crews on both the north and south flanks continue to make good progress towards containment, despite steep terrain and increasingly high daytime temperatures.
On the north side, the unit crew continues establishing hose lay as they mop up the northwest flank of the fire.
Crews working along the southern portion of the western flank will be advancing their wet line 25 feet in from the fire perimeter. Initial attack crews patrol the Stryen Creek area and work to extinguish the remaining hot spots.
Growth continues to occur along the west flank on the north side of the Stein River. Initial attack crews are prepared to respond to any spots that could occur on the south side of the Stein River.
Members of the Lytton First Nation and the BC Wildfire Service continue to work in partnership to identify and protect cultural values throughout the fire and to reinforce protection around structures along the eastern flank.
Recovery is still just getting underway in Lytton, which was mostly wiped out by a wildfire just over a year ago.
An investigation into the cause of the blaze is continuing.