The fire is about 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles) northwest of Lytton and is spreading over steep terrain to the west of the fire, officials said in an online update.
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The wildfire west of Lytton continues to spread and has now consumed eight square kilometers of trees and bushes in less than 24 hours.
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BC Wildfire Service spokesperson Taylor Coleman said earlier today that the out-of-control fire is burning aggressively and being fueled by high winds.
The fire is about 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles) northwest of Lytton and is spreading over steep terrain to the west of the fire, officials said in an online update.
A number of evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for property across the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the Litton First Nation west of the Fraser River.
The regional district is still working to confirm that three buildings were destroyed within hours of the fire.
Coleman said the fire broke out on Thursday afternoon and it was difficult to reach him because there were few roads in the area and the small boat crossing the Litter Fraser River was lost due to high water levels.
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Premier John Horgan said on social media that his thoughts are with the people of the area.
“To face a second wildfire a year after the devastation they experienced is unthinkable,” he said on Twitter. “Thank you to the staff working to keep people safe.”
The BC Wildfire Service says three crews of 21 people and three first responders are battling the blaze. They are being supported by six helicopters. Three air tankers and a lead aircraft known as a Bird Dog are also on the way to the fire, the service said in an online update Friday afternoon.
A total of 80 people are working on the fire, along with other operations and support personnel at the scene, he said.
Tricia Thorpe, who lives in the area, said the fire was bringing back memories of last year’s devastating bushfires that devastated Lytton.
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“It’s horrible. I feel for the local firefighters, ”she told the Canadian Press.
“They are a great, caring group of men and women and in order to practice this at home, they have to stir again.
Torp called her heart “Westerners,” meaning those who live on the western side of the Fraser River across the Lithuania.
“They were the ones who welcomed us into their community last year when we lost everything in the Litton wildfire,” she said.
The IDPs were told to move north to Liloot, where the reception center was set up.
– with Hina Alam files in Vancouver
