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Out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C., prompts evacuation orders, Highway 1 closure

B.C. Wildfire Service says fire suspected to have been caused by human activity

An out-of-control wildfire south of the village of Lytton, B.C., triggered evacuation orders and alerts late Friday.

In an update late Friday evening, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District said an evacuation order was in effect for 47 addressed properties in the Village of Lytton, with 168 other addresses also under evacuation alerts. The Lytton First Nation has also issued an evacuation alert for some of its residents.

The flames of the Saw Creek wildfire have also forced the closure of Highway 1 for 116 kilometres, between Boston Bar and Cache Creek — a major route through the region.

Shae Stearns, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said just before 8 p.m. PT that the fire was burning close to the highway and nearby structures.

"Hot and dry conditions have been present throughout the day and throughout the past couple days," she said.

"So it has made fuels highly susceptible to ignition. So we are expecting additional growth on that size as well."

Stearns said human activity is suspected of causing the fire.

An evacuation alert has been issued for residents of Lytton, as well as for residents of the Lytton First Nation north of the Klahkamich 17 reserve.

Evacuation alerts say residents should be ready to leave at a moment's notice but are not evacuation orders, which mean residents should leave immediately.

Stearns said that aerial resources were helping ground crews battling the fire on Friday night, with structure protection specialists also pressed into action.

DriveBC said that Highway 1 was closed in both directions just after 6 p.m. PT between Ashcroft and Boston Bar due to the fire. Commuters have been told to take the Coquihalla Highway or Highway 97C as alternate routes.

⛔️ REMINDER #BCHwy1 - The highway is closed between #BostonBarBC and #AshcroftBC due to the Saw Creek wildfire south of #LyttonBC.
No estimated time of reopening available. Use #BCHwy5 or #BCHwy97C as alternate routes.
ℹ️For more info:https://t.co/XUw5NVp63q

DriveBC said there was no estimated reopening time for the stretch of Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon, as of 9 p.m. PT on Friday.

The Village of Lytton was all but destroyed in a June 2021 wildfire that was sparked amid record heat. Rebuilding progress has been slow in the village in the years since.

Provincial officials warn British Columbians to brace for an intense wildfire season

As of 9:30 p.m. PT on Friday, there were 16 active wildfires in B.C. — with the Saw Creek wildfire the only "fire of note," a designation that means it is particularly visible or poses a threat to public safety.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said in a Thursday update that the central and southern portions of the province are set to be hot and dry over the weekend, with wind expected on Friday and Saturday.

"The northern half of the province will experience some precipitation and some cooling this weekend, but on Sunday, temperatures will rise again province-wide," the update reads.

With files from Arden McLeod and The Canadian Press