Still 'out of control' weeks later, wildfire prompts evacuation order near Lytton, B.C.
A wildfire burning since the end of June prompted the evacuation of dozens of properties located in B.C.'s Interior.
The Lytton Creek wildfire was first discovered on June 30. It has since grown to 15,664 hectares, or 156 square kilometres.
The fire is now threatening to reach nearby buildings, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District said in a statement announcing an evacuation order issued at noon Thursday.
As a result, residents of 169 properties in the Spences Bridge area of Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country) have been ordered to leave their homes immediately.
The following addresses are under evacuation order:
- 3577 to 3640 Big Horn Curl;
- 4884 Bridge Rd.;
- 4850 to 4857 Chucker Cres.;
- 3416 to 3545 Colvin Rd.;
- 3701 to 3719 Deer Lane;
- 3557 to 10320 Merritt-Spences Bridge Hwy. 8;
- 3637 North Frontage Rd.;
- 3681 to 3769 North Frontage Rd.;
- 3701 to 3814 Riverview Ave.;
- 4800 School St.;
- 3748 to 3784 South Frontage Rd.;
- 7893 Speym Rd.;
- 3607 to 3697 Station St.;
- 4809 to 4835 Steelhead Pl.;
- 3740 to 3787 Thompson View; and
- 2869 to 4480 Trans-Canada Hwy.
The TNRD said the order also applies to any other properties within the boundary outlined on a map posted on its website.
An order has also been issued for Shackan First Nationland southeast of Spences Bridge. No specific addresses were given for the notification about Shackan Reserve IR#11.
The wildfire is just north of the small community of Lytton, B.C., a village that made headlines for three days in a row for registering the hottest-ever temperature in the country. On the fourth day, the population-250 village burned to the ground.
It is not yet known what caused the fire in Lytton, which was separate from the Lytton Creek wildfire. Investigations are being conducted by the local RCMP and the Transportation Safety Board.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, the Lytton Creek wildfire is still classified as out of control.
The BCWS said in an update posted Thursday morning that hot and dry conditions, as well as strong winds, are helping to fuel the fire in some sections.
In its advisory, the TNRD directs anyone in the affected areas to leave immediately.
It also warns evacuees that they may have challenges finding a hotel or other accommodation in Kamloops due to a "critical shortage," and asks that they stay with friends or family if possible.
Orders are in place in other parts of B.C. as well, including in a community located near Shuswap Lake.
Others remain on evacuation alert, meaning they've been told to be prepared to leave at short notice, but can stay home for the time being.
As of Thursday afternoon, there were 268 wildfires considered active in B.C., seven of which were sparked in the last two days.
The province has already seen 1,174 fires this year. About half of the fires are believed to have been started by lightning, while humans are likely to blame in more than one-third.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.