The BC Forest Fire Service estimates the size of the fire outside of Lytton to be about 500 hectares, up from 200 hectares on Thursday.
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Dozens of homes have been evacuated or are under evacuation alert as a raging bushfire west of Lytton continues to burn out of control.
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The Thompson-Nicola Regional District placed 31 properties on evacuation alert Thursday night. This is in addition to the two dozen houses in Electoral Area 1 that were ordered to evacuate earlier in the day.
Evacuation orders were also issued in several First Nations communities on Thursday. The Lytton First Nation ordered evacuations in reservations 23, 27B, 27 and 27A. Reserves 9A and 9B were placed on evacuation alert.
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On Friday, the BC Forest Fire Service estimates the size of the fire to be about 500 hectares, up from 200 hectares on Thursday. “Improved visibility at the site has allowed staff to better estimate the size of the Nohomin Creek wildfire,” he said.
The fire, also known as the Nohomin Creek wildfire, burns 1.7 kilometers northwest of the Village of Lytton, which was swept more than a year ago after a deadly wildfire ripped through the town on June 30, 2021, killing two people.
There are unconfirmed reports that three structures may have been lost in the fire, Pader Branch, executive director of regional operations for Emergency Management BC, said during a news conference Thursday.
The fire has prompted an Environment Canada air quality statement for the Fraser Canyon along Trans-Canada Highway 1 from Lytton to Choate over the next 24 to 48 hours. The meteorological agency warned about exposure to smoke from wildfires, which contains a mixture of particles and gases that include chemicals that can be harmful to health.
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BC Wildfire crews have been working to contain the fire since it was first reported to the service around 12:45 pm Thursday with an initial size of five acres.
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Four initial attack crews and two unit crews responded, and helicopters and air tankers were also dispatched. An additional 40 personnel were scheduled to arrive on Friday.
Dense smoke, accessibility, and terrain presented challenges for personnel.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Lytton First Nation deputy chief John Haugen said about nine people from his community had been evacuated from their homes by late afternoon. “We have three elderly people who are in direct line to this fire and we are working to make sure they are safe and that we can put the fire out as soon as possible,” he said Thursday.
ECOmm, the 911 emergency communication operator for most of the province, said in a statement that landline and cell phone service is not available in Lytton and for areas near Boston Bar and Spences Bridge, but Brach said that the outage is believed to be unrelated to the fire.