Concerns ramp up as ashes from wildfire fall on Lytton, B.C.

An out-of-control wildfire blazing near Lytton has triggered evacuation alerts.

Ashes from an out-of-control wildfire fell on the B.C. village of Lytton Monday night and provincial officials say there are deep concerns about the blaze.

The worry comes as temperatures are expected to soar as high as 38 degrees in the Fraser Canyon and Lytton area.

The Cantilever Bar wildfire is about 150 hectares in size, burning 10 kilometres south of Lytton.

“It took right off and it was a little scary looking,” said Wayne James, who lives in the area and recorded video of the flames at 4 a.m. Tuesday.

The fire has triggered evacuation alerts for five properties in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and other homes on First Nations lands.

“When I look down towards the fire all I see is smoke, and it’s just that haze that you can’t see through,” said Tricia Thorpe, an area director with the Thomson Nicola Regional District.

The wildfire, believed to be human-caused, has crews battling both heat and steep terrain.

“It’s challenging terrain. Fire wants to run uphill during the day it wants to run downhill during the night,” said Cliff Chapman, Director of Wildfire Operations with BC Wildfire Service.

Ravi Parmar, B.C.’s Minister of Forests, said there has been lot of mitigation work done in Lytton and the surrounding area in recent years, but there is still “deep concern” over the fire.

“There were reports of ashes falling in Lytton last night (Monday) as an example and so for those that have been working hard to rebuild their homes, those looking to continue to come home over the next number of years, certainly a lot of concerns that I can imagine that they’re facing,” he said.

The fire comes four years after most of Lytton burned in a devastating wildfire.

“I want to acknowledge how distressing it must be for the people in the Lytton area for the fire that started outside the village yesterday,” said Kelly Green, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister.

“It brings flashbacks. You’re just worried about which way the wind is going,” said James.

“It’s like, seriously, again? But it is fire season, and it is something we deal with on a yearly basis,” she said, adding that being prepared is key.

There are currently 45 firefighters battling the blaze along with three helicopters.

Thorpe said the rail companies are also sending crews to protect assets in the area.

“There are two bridges that cross right near where the fire is. They’re pretty significant. They cross the Fraser (River). One is the CN bridge, the other is the CP bridge. So, making sure…there is water on those infrastructure, so nothing starts there,” said Thorpe.