Crews battling a massive wildfire in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon hope a band of rain moving through the area will help them get the upper hand on the quick-moving blaze.
The Cisco Road Wildfire near Lytton has grown to more than 1,500 hectares in less than 24 hours, although it only grew 200 hectares overnight.
The Wildfire Management Branch the Lytton First Nations Band has ordered evacuations at 10 nearby homes and evacuation alerts at 60 others.
One structure was scorched as the fire swept through the area although it’s unclear if it is a home, business or shed or some kind.
Hot and dry conditions are hampering suppression efforts, and the wildfire is in difficult and steep terrain.
Kayla Pepper with the provincial wildfire branch said winds gusting up to 60 kilometres an hour caused the fire to spread quickly yesterday, and that a coming cold front could lead to more unpredictability.
“It could bring erratic winds. It’s still an extremely dynamic situation. We’re still expecting temperatures to bounce back to around 30 degrees,” Pepper says.
More than 60 firefighters are battling the fire from land and by helicopter.
Two investigators are looking into how the blaze was sparked, but it is believed to be human caused.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Hurst
