Wildfire near Lytton grows sixfold overnight, evacuation orders issued

The Saw Creek wildfire exploded from an unknown size Friday evening to 600 hectares by Saturday, June 20, and crews expect it to keep growing.

The BC Wildfire Service issued evacuation orders for portions of the Village of Lytton and nearby properties, including areas from Florence Road north to the Lytton Airport, as well as Kitzowitz, Ponderosa, and Loring Way. "People in this area are at risk and should leave the area immediately," the service said.

Evacuees can go to the Battlefield Community Hall at 1756 Battlefield Road. Highway 1 is closed between Boston Bar and Ashcroft in both directions; DriveBC recommends using Highway 5 or Highway 97 as alternatives.

The fire is considered out of control and believed to be human-caused. Fire information officer Shae Stearns at the Kamloops Fire Centre said weather conditions are expected to intensify the blaze. "An unorganized flame front where there's direct sunlight on certain areas and wind and slope align, we might see that fire behaviour start to increase throughout the day," he said.

Currently, 130 crews are fighting the fire along its northwest and south flanks, supported by nine helicopters. The Lytton Fire and Rescue Fire Department and other units have been prioritizing the protection and defence of structures overnight. The fire is currently burning at Rank 2, meaning a surface fire with visible open flame and an unorganized flame front.

This comes as Lytton continues to recover from the June 30, 2021 wildfire that destroyed nearly the entire village, killed two residents, and damaged nearby First Nations communities. Despite more than $140 million in federal and provincial funding commitments, only 20 homes have been rebuilt and roughly 75 people now live in the village, down from about 210 before the 2021 fire.