Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., prompts evacuation order, local state of emergency

Brieanna Charlebois · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 01, 2025 3:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 25 minutes ago

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a section authorities of exigency for the Blue Sky Country portion owed to an encroaching out-of-control wildfire adjacent Lytton, B.C.

It has besides issued an evacuation bid for 2 properties connected Spencer Road South arsenic the blaze poses "immediate information to life." An evacuation bid means those successful the country are astatine hazard and indispensable permission immediately. 

The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Nikaia Creek wildfire is astir six hectares successful size and is 1 of much than 70 wildfires burning crossed the province. 

The occurrence was discovered connected Monday astir 8 p.m. and is presently retired of control, which means it is spreading oregon anticipated to dispersed beyond its existent perimeter.

The BCWS says crews, supported by firefighters from Lytton First Nation, made "good progress" overnight and they are present focused connected the northbound and southbound flanks of the blaze.

The Lytton First Nation also issued an evacuation alert Monday evening for Papyum 27, Papyum 27A, Lytton 27B and Nohomeen 23 owed to wildfire. An evacuation alert requires residents to beryllium prepared to permission rapidly connected abbreviated notice, if necessary. 

'Hit excessively hard excessively galore times'

Tricia Thorpe, country manager for Blue Sky Country (Area I) of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said the occurrence has caused a batch of accent successful the community.

"It's traumatic," Thorpe said. "It happened connected the 4th day of the Lytton wildfire."

She noted the country westbound of the Fraser River, extracurricular the colony of Lytton and location to astir 200 residents of Lytton First Nation and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, has besides been profoundly affected by a barrage of wildfires since 2021.

"They're inactive reeling," she said, adding that "they've been deed excessively hard excessively galore times successful the past fewer years."

Thorpe said summertime has go a clip of anxiousness successful her community.

"You ticker for smoke; you ticker that B.C. Wildfire Service site; you're perpetually benignant of a small spot connected edge," she said.

"We don't person summertime anymore, we person wildfire season."

Hot upwind to continue

The BCWS dashboard says blistery and adust upwind is expected to proceed this week crossed astir of the province. 

It says northwest B.C. has cooler weather, arsenic cardinal and northeast B.C. are seeing lukewarm seasonal temperatures. 

But the dashboard says southern B.C. volition spot precise blistery upwind conditions, with temperatures 5 to 10 degrees supra seasonal averages.

It says thunderstorms are besides expected to summation provincewide, with lightning hazard peaking Tuesday.

"Given the ongoing adust and lukewarm conditions, determination is an summation successful the imaginable for wildfires with the hazard for adust lightning," it says.

About 85 per cent of the fires burning in B.C. are believed to beryllium caused by lightning, portion 15 per cent are believed to beryllium human-caused.

It's been 4 years since a fast-moving wildfire destroyed the village of Lytton and killed 2 radical connected June 30, 2021.

The occurrence burned down astir 90 per cent of the village, arsenic good arsenic buildings successful the adjacent Lytton First Nation.

WATCH | Cause of 2021 Lytton occurrence unknown, constabulary say: 

Delays person dragged retired the rebuilding process, but immoderate residents person since returned and a fewer businesses person opened backmost up. 

The territory is asking those who request exigency enactment services to registry online at ess.gov.bc.ca or call the TNRD Emergency Operations Centre astatine 250-377-7188 oregon toll-free astatine 1-866-377-7188.

Those who request proscription assistance are asked to telephone TNRD at 250-377-7188.