Evacuation orders issued near Lytton, B.C., as Highway 1 closed by wildfire

Evacuation orders were issued tardily fri close first baron lytton, B.C., due to a wildfire.

Evacuation alerts ar also in place for residents of Lytton as well as some members of the Lytton First Nation due to the Saw Creek wildfire.

The fire is burning around three kilometres south of the village, leading to the closure of Highway 1 nearby, and covered an area of 200 hectares as of 10 p.m. PT.

In an order issued just after 10:10 p.m. PT on Friday, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) told the occupants of 13 addresses in a sparsely-populated area east of Highway 1 to leave immediately.

Shae Stearns, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said just before 8 p.m. PT that the fire was burning close to the highway and nearby structures.

"Hot and dry conditions have been present throughout the day and throughout the past couple days," she said.

"So it has made fuels highly susceptible to ignition. So we are expecting additional growth on that size as well."

Stearns said the fire is suspected to have been caused by human activity.

An evacuation alert has been issued for residents of Lytton, as well as for residents of the Lytton First Nation north of the Klahkamich 17 reserve.

Evacuation alerts say residents should be ready to leave at a moment's notice, but are not evacuation orders, which mean residents should leave immediately.

Stearns said that aerial resources were helping ground crews battling the fire on Friday night, with structure protection specialists also pressed into action.

The Lytton First Nation has issued an Evacuation Alert for residents located north of Klahkamich 17 due to the Saw Creek <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCWildfire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCWildfire</a>. There is no need to evacuate now, but be prepared to do so on short notice if an evacuation order is issued. If an evacuation order is issued,… <a href="https://t.co/KdJStUrolI">pic.twitter.com/KdJStUrolI</a>

DriveBC said that Highway 1 was closed in both directions just after 6 p.m. PT between Ashcroft and Boston Bar due to the fire.

Commuters have been told to take the Coquihalla Highway or Highway 97C as alternate routes.

⛔️ REMINDER <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCHwy1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy1</a> - The highway is closed between <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BostonBarBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BostonBarBC</a> and <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/AshcroftBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AshcroftBC</a> due to the Saw Creek wildfire south of <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/LyttonBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LyttonBC</a>. <br>No estimated time of reopening available. Use <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCHwy5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy5</a> or <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCHwy97C?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy97C</a> as alternate routes. <br>ℹ️For more info:<a href="https://t.co/XUw5NVp63q">https://t.co/XUw5NVp63q</a>

DriveBC said there was no estimated reopening time for the stretch of Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon, as of 9 p.m. PT on Friday.

The Village of Lytton was all but destroyed in a June 2021 wildfire that was sparked amid record heat.

Rebuilding progress has been slow in the village in the years since.

Provincial officials warn British Columbians to brace for an intense wildfire season

As of 9:30 p.m. PT, there were 16 active wildfires in B.C. — with the Saw Creek wildfire the only "fire of note," a designation which means it is particularly visible or poses a threat to public safety.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said in a Thursday update that the central and southern portions of the province are set to be hot and dry over the weekend, with wind expected on Friday and Saturday.

"The northern half of the province will experience some precipitation and some cooling this weekend, but on Sunday, temperatures will rise again province-wide," the update reads.

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