Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., grows to 1,700 hectares; First Nation works to salvage food

The acting chief of the Lytton First Nation tells The Canadian Press about 30 evacuees briefly returned home in an effort to salvage food they left behind in freezers when a wildfire broke out Thursday nearly 1.7 kilometres northwest of Lytton, B.C.

John Haugen says the fire destroyed six residences and triggered evacuation orders that forced a total of 97 people from his community and about 40 people from neighbouring areas out of their homes.

He says hydro in the region isn't expected to be restored for at least 10 days, and because a timeline for when people may officially return to their properties has yet to be determined, rotting food would create another issue for residents.

The BC Wildfire Service published a map of the fire perimeter on Sunday, showing the blaze at an estimated 1,706 hectares in size. 

Though cooler temperatures and humidity overnight helped "dampen fire behaviour," the wildfire remains classified as out of control, according to the service's latest update. 

The growth in the fire – which was estimated at 1,500 hectares on Saturday – has happened upslope on its west flank, the wildfire service said.

Sunday's forecast called for temperatures in the mid-20s, with winds gusting up to 40 km/h in the afternoon, according to the service.

"Trace amounts of precipitation are also anticipated for the Lytton area today, but these amounts will not be significant enough to have an impact on the fire," the service said in its update.

Four unit crews, five initial attack crews, 19 Lytton First Nation firefighters, an incident management team and structure protection personnel are actively working to contain the fire, the service said.

There are also eight helicopters currently assigned to the fire, with two more scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon.

"Additional aerial resources are available based on operational needs as visibility and conditions allow," the service said.

Though Haugen says some of the smoke has diminished, Environment Canada has maintained the special air quality advisory it issued for the Fraser Canyon due to the fire.

The blaze has also prompted the partial closure of Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park. A notice from BC Parks says an evacuation order from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is limiting access to the lower trailhead in the park.

"In the interest of public safety, BC Parks is providing this notice to park visitors," the message reads. "In the event of changing wildfire conditions, visitors in this park may receive limited notice to evacuate the park."

With files from The Canadian Press