Authorities say ash has fallen on the community of Lytton, B.C., as crews battle what the operations director for the BC Wildfire Service called a "very scary" blaze for the village that was almost completely consumed by flames in 2021.
The Cantilever Bar fire has triggered evacuation alerts from local First Nations and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, which says residents of at least five properties south of Lytton in the Fraser Canyon have been warned to prepare to get out at short notice.
The Lytton, Skuppah and Siska First Nations are threatened by the same out-of-control fire that is about 1.5 square kilometres in size and is suspected to have been caused by human activity.
"I recognize that it's a very challenging time and a lot of uncertainty for those folks living and impacted by that fire," Forests Minister Ravi Parmar told a news conference on Tuesday.
Cliff Chapman, director of operations with the BC Wildfire Service, said that fighting the blaze is challenged by heat, terrain and wind, but he's confident the right resources are fighting the fire, which was discovered on Monday and is about 10 kilometres south of Lytton.
The area in the Fraser Canyon valley is known to be among the hottest places in Canada, setting the country's all-time heat record of 49.6 C on June 29, 2021. The next day, a fire destroyed most of the village.
"As the minister mentioned, with ash falling in the village last night, it's a very scary fire for the community," Chapman said.
"And our people are part of that. And they are showing up … through the night, last night and today, to do everything we can to try to catch that fire at its current size, or maybe slightly bigger."
On Tuesday, Environment Canada issued a pair of special air quality statements for the Fraser Canyon, including Lytton, warning that the area could be affected by wildfire smoke over the next 24 to 48 hours.
"As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events," the statement said.
A heat warning is also in effect, with Environment Canada saying temperatures up to 38 C are expected in the canyon before conditions ease Friday. There were 17 heat alerts in place on Tuesday, affecting much of the B.C. Interior.
There were more than 60 active wildfires across the province, while 623 fires have burned so far this year, down from 1,059 at the same time last year.
Chapman said 75 per cent of the province had experienced a below-average fire season so far this year.
Parmar said more than 98 per cent of the ground burned is in the Prince George fire centre in the province's northeast.
"(In) the rest of the province, we're seeing a season that's quieter than usual, but let me be clear, don't let that lull into a false sense of security," he said.
"Thanks to the quick, effective action from our BC Wildfire Service crews and local firefighters, we've been able to contain most fires to four hectares or less, but this is a delicate balance. We can never afford to relax."
A wildfire service update says this week's forecasted above-seasonal temperatures and the risk of dry lightning across almost all of the province increase the probability of new fires, despite anticipated low winds.
B.C. Waters Minister Randene Neill told the news conference that she was wishing for rain over the upcoming long weekend in the province to help with the fires and drought in some areas.
"Low river flows are already putting fish and aquatic ecosystems at risk, and we've been seeing some fish stranding on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland as well," she said.
She said some river levels in the Interior had improved due to recent rainfall, "but those gains, as of yesterday, are all lost, and we're at critical low periods again."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
