At least 6 homes destroyed as Lytton wildfire grows to 1,500 hectares

Photo: Sydney Chisholm

Smoke fills the valley on Friday in Lytton.

UPDATE 4:15 p.m.

The BC Wildfire Service says the Nohomin Creek wildfire near Lytton has now grown to 1,500 hectares.

That is up from 200 hectares on Friday morning.

The growth is coming mostly on the west flank, in steep terrain, and is being driven by wind.

“Heavy smoke, accessibility and terrain are presenting challenges for personnel,” said a statement from BCWS.

The fire is burning at rank 4/5 out of 6.

“This means the fire is a crown fire with an organized flame front and a moderate to fast rate of spread. Tree candling and short-range spotting has also been observed,” BCWS said.

Winds of 30 to 40 km/hr are pushing the fire west and away from communities.

Photo: Sydney Chisholm

UPDATE: 2:55 p.m.

At least a half-dozen homes have been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire burning near Lytton.

The Nohomin Creek blaze was sparked on Thursday afternoon and had grown to an estimated 800 hectares by Friday morning.

The fire is burning on the west side of the Fraser River. The flames briefly jumped the river overnight but were extinguished, officials have said.

During a news conference on Friday afternoon, Lytton First Nation deputy chief John Haugen said the band is aware of a number of structures having been destroyed by the blaze.

“There’s been confirmed at least six residential buildings have been lost, and upwards of nine at this time,” he said.

“We’re working trying to contact those community members that have lost homes. It’s devastating, so we have to mindful of how we approach them and confirm those losses.”

Haugen said a helicopter was in the air early Friday afternoon to assess losses, but he had not yet heard what that crew was able to learn.

Mike Farnworth, the province’s public safety minister, said on the call that the Nohomin Creek fire is burning north — away from the Village of Lytton — and is not expected to impact any other communities.

“While this fire is growing, models indicate it should not impact other communities,” he said.

Katrine Conroy, B.C.’s Forestry Minister, said BC Wildfire Service crews are working hard to battle the blaze.

“We’re up to the challenge,” she said.

“All hands are on deck.”

UPDATE: 2:05 p.m.

Gusting winds are fanning the flames of a fast-moving wildfire near Lytton — a blaze that has grown to cover an estimated 800 hectares north of the fire-ravaged village.

A Castanet reporter north of Lytton on Highway 12, across the Fraser River from where the Nohomin Creek fire is burning, reports strong wind gusts and lots of smoke.

According to Environment Canada, wind in Lytton is blowing at about 30 km/h, with gusts upwards of 50 km/h.

The provincial government has called a news conference for 2:30 p.m. to update the situation.

This story will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes known.

UPDATE: 12:35 p.m.

Three air tankers and a bird dog are en route to a fast-moving wildfire burning near Lytton, helping out 80 personnel and six helicopters already on scene.

The Nohomin Creek wildfire, burning northwest of Lytton, covers an estimated 800 hectares. The blaze broke out just before 1 p.m. on Thursday across the Fraser River from Lytton. It has since moved north.

In an update over the noon hour on Friday, the BC Wildfire Service said the fire is displaying some aggressive behaviour.

“Heavy smoke, accessibility and terrain are presenting challenges for personnel,” the update read.

The fire is classified as out of control.

The BCWS update said 80 personnel are on scene along with six helicopters. Three air tankers and a bird dog are headed to the area, the agency said.

Premier John Horgan said on social media that his thoughts are with people in the area.

“It’s unimaginable to face a second wildfire a year after the devastation they faced,” he said on Twitter. “Thank you to the crews working to keep people safe.”

Photo: BCWS

UPDATE: 11:11 a.m.

The Nohomin Creek fire has ballooned once again on Friday morning, now sitting at an estimated 800 hectares, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

BCWS fire information officer Taylor Colman told Castanet the growth has been up the western flank of the blaze in steep terrain.

Colman also confirmed earlier reporting that the blaze briefly jumped the Fraser River overnight, where it was then extinguished. She said the fire remains on the west side of the river.

Castanet has a reporter en route to Lytton. This story will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes known.

UPDATE: 8:50 a.m.

The BC Wildfire says the Nohomin Creek wildfire burning northwest of Lytton is now estimated at 500 hectares in size, having more than doubled since Thursday evening.

The fire is burning on the west side of the Fraser River, and the wildfire service says improved visibility has allowed personnel to better estimate its size.

The fire continues to burn out of control and is displaying rank three and four fire behaviour.

There are no impacts to Highway 1 or Highway 12. The Lytton Ferry is closed, however.

Evacuation orders and alerts remain in place.

“Two initial attack crews remained on site overnight. Ground crews reported wildfire behaviour decreased overnight, and the most active part of the fire was the west flank, where rank three was observed in steep terrain,” the BCWS says in its morning update.

Three 20-person unit crews are arriving on site this morning and will be supported by helicopters throughout the day.

UPDATE: 6:50 a.m.

A Lytton area resident says the Nohomin Creek wildfire crossed the Fraser River overnight, but the excursion was extinguished by fire crews.

Tricia Thorpe says the fire jumped to the east side of the river in the Six Mile area Thursday night, near Dipping Net Road.

It continues to run north along the west side of the river, northwest of Lytton.

The BC Wildfire Service is expected to update the situation this morning.

ORIGINAL: 6:29 a.m.

Ground crews remained on site overnight at the Nohomin Creek wildfire, which erupted Thursday afternoon northwest of Lytton.

An additional 40 personnel are expected be on site this morning.

As of the BC Wildfire Service’s last update on the blaze about 10:20 p.m., the fire had burned an estimated 200 hectares and continues to be out of control.

It is located 1.7 kilometres northwest of Lytton, on the west side of the Fraser River.

The fire was displaying rank three and rank four fire behaviour, with heavy smoke.

Accessibility and terrain are presenting challenges for personnel, the wildfire service says.

Currently, there are no impacts to Highway 1 or Highway 12. The Lytton Ferry is closed in both directions.

Evacuation orders remain in effect from the Lytton First Nation, affecting Nohomeen IR 13, Papyum IRs 27, 27A, Lytton IR 27B, Papyum Graveyard 27C, and Stryen IR 9 (West of Stein River).

Evacuation alerts are in place for Stryen IR 9 and Lytton IR 9A.

The Thompson Nicola Regional District has also issued evacuation orders and alert for parts of Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country).

The fire’s cause remains under investigation. Fire origin specialists have been deployed to the scene.

Resources fighting the blaze include 32 firefighters, three four-person initial attack crews, and a 20-person unit crew, supported by two helicopters and airtankers.

RCMP are also on site, and an Incident Management Team has been deployed and will assume command of the incident in coming days.