An out of control forest fire that burns near Lytton, BC, has caused evacuation orders for two reserves of first nations scarcely populated on the west side of the Fraser River.
Lytton’s first nation issued orders Thursday morning for Lytton 26A and Skweayaynope 26 due to what he described as “immediate danger for life and security” of the Fire Wildfire of the cantilever bar, which has been burning about 10 kilometers south of the Lytton village since Monday.
An emergency reception center has been established at the Lytton First Nation Battlefield Community Hall, and residents have been ordered to evacuate through South Spencer Road.
An evacuation order means that residents must go immediately, while an alert advises people who are prepared to leave with little notification.
In addition to the new orders, there are a handful of alert properties along the west side of the Fraser River, even the first nations of Siskka and Skuppah and the Regional District of Thompson-Nicola.
The fire has grown from approximately 1.5 square kilometers earlier this week to 6.5 square kilometers, according to BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). He says that the largest estimate is due to the most precise perimeter mapping after the smoke cleared enough to allow airplanes to fly above.
It is suspected that the forest fire is caused by humans, a broad category that includes all fires not caused by lightning.
From its last update, the forest fire service says that structure protection equipment and 31 firefighters were working on the scene.
The fire burns in the steep terrain and is visible from highway 1, and motorists are urged to reduce speed and drive with caution when passing through the area.
Continuous concern in a region with fire scars
The mayor of Lytton, Denise O’Connor, says that the fire currently does not represent an immediate threat to the village, located on the east side of the Fraser River, but is still causing generalized anguish.
“Many people have anxiety and some with quite serious PTSD of the fire of 2021,” O’Connor told CBC News.
Four years have passed since a forest fire that moves quickly destroyed the town of Lytton and killed two people on June 30, 2021.
The fire burned around 90 percent of the village, as well as the buildings in the nearby first nation of Lytton.
After the fire, many Lytton residents were hope that they could quickly return home, but the delays caused by the need for archaeological studies, as well as the lack of insurance coverage, have dragged the reconstruction process.
Now, the people are finally beginning to show signs of being a community again, with some people who move home and some companies that open.
Almost four years after a forest fire destroyed most of Lytton, the people are rebuilding. Jenifer Norwell of CBC informs about the move of the mayor to his new home after waiting and reconstruction.
The Lytton Chinese History Museum, the local legion and a store have been rebuilt along with some houses, says the mayor.
“Almost all the buildings here are being rebuilt with … fire resistant material, the roofs are metal or asphalt tile, which is also fire resistant,” he said.
Tricia Thorpe, director of the Regional District of Thompson-Nicola, whose house was destroyed in the 2021 forest fire, says that since then she has rebuilt with the resilience of fire in mind.
“I have sprinklers, my house is made of concrete and metal. Even my barn is metal and concrete coating as caution,” he told CBC News.
Thorpe says that the smoke and the fall of debris of the last forest fire are now creating additional concerns.
“Our greatest fear is the possibility that something begins with the embers, given how hot and dry it is here at this time.”
DRY CONDITIONS The activity of the fuel fire in BC
The conditions in the Fraser Canyon remain hot and dry, with temperatures that approach 40 C and the vegetation highly susceptible to ignition, says the forest fire service.
The fire near Lytton is one of the few significant forest fires in the province in areas where the Canada environment has issued heat warnings this week, with temperatures in the 30s.
In Okanagan, the police and firefighters went from door to door on Wednesday night to evacuate residents of 400 properties near Peachland as a forest fire that moves quickly burned near the community.
Another 225 properties are on evacuation alert due to the fire that began on Wednesday afternoon and extended rapidly through thickets and dry forests.
In the Fraser Valley, the BC Wildfire service has improved a fire to a “forest fire” and warns of campers that leave the Harrison Lake area, since the roads are closed before the long weekend.
We continue to respond to Bear Creek Fire (V11110), located to the south of Bear Creek, and east of Lake Harrison. This fire was reported early in the afternoon of July 29, and we responded with equipment, helicopters and air oil tankers. Visit the incident page: https: //t.co/3zgkzwty0g … pic.twitter.com/v8vnydrp0f
The 65 -hectare fire Bear Creek is the first fire in BC since July 9, when the Blaze Izman Creek near Lytton lost that state.
The designation is reserved for fires that “create a higher level of interest.”
There are about 70 active fires throughout the province, 20 of which began in the last 24 hours.
