Blaze near Lytton ‘very scary’ for community, BC Wildfire Service says

The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze that triggered evacuation alerts for properties in the Lytton area is “very scary” for the Interior community that was almost completely destroyed by flames in 2021.

Director of operations Cliff Chapman says heat, terrain, and winds are challenging firefighting efforts at the Cantilever Bar fire that now spans 4.6 kilometres (more than 460 hectares) in size since it was discovered Monday.

According to BC Wildfire Service, the sudden increase in size is because crews were able to obtain more accurate perimeter mapping after the smoke had cleared.

The BC Wildfire Service has deployed over 30 firefighters to contain the blaze.

But he says crews are showing up through the day and night to do everything they can to contain it.

The area in the Fraser Canyon valley is known to be among the hottest places in Canada, setting the country’s all-time heat record of 49.6 °C on June 29, 2021. The next day, a fire destroyed most of the village.

“… With ash falling in the village last night, it’s a very scary fire for the community,” Chapman said on Tuesday.

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On Tuesday, Environment Canada issued a pair of special air quality statements for the Fraser Canyon, including Lytton, warning that the area could be affected by wildfire smoke over the next 24 to 48 hours.

“The heat this week has certainly dried out fuels and made them more susceptible to ignition, which could make wildfires spread easier,” said Taylor Colman with the BC Wildfire Service.

She says that even though the fire is moving away from communities, it is moving into upper, rocky and steep elevations, which makes it harder to contain.

The fire remains out of control.

However, a silver lining, she says, is that the fires have not been growing rapidly due to weak winds.

“As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events,” a BC Wildfire Service statement said.

With files from Jan Schuermann and Raynaldo Suarez.