Wildfire near Lytton continues to burn at 1,500 hectares

Original Story posted by The Canadian Press

LYTTON, B.C. — The acting chief of the Lytton First Nation says about 30 evacuees briefly returned home in an effort to salvage food they left behind in freezers when a wildfire broke out Thursday nearly two kilometres northwest of Lytton.

John Haugen says the fire, which continues to burn at an estimated 1,500 hectares, 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.

He 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.

The BC Wildfire Service 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.

It says cooler temperatures and humidity overnight helped “dampen fire behaviour,” but it remains classified as out of control.

Though Haugen 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.

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