British ColumbiaThe Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a local state of emergency for the Blue Sky Country region due to an encroaching out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C.The Lytton First Nation has also issued an evacuation alertBrieanna Charlebois · The Canadian Press · Posted: Jul 01, 2025 3:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoThe Nikaia Creek wildfire, discovered on Monday, is burning out of control, says the B.C. Wildfire Service. (B.C. Wildfire Service)The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has declared a local state of emergency for the Blue Sky Country region due to an encroaching out-of-control wildfire near Lytton, B.C.It has also issued an evacuation order for two properties on Spencer Road South as the blaze poses “immediate danger to life.” An evacuation order means those in the area are at risk and must leave immediately. The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Nikaia Creek wildfire is about six hectares in size and is one of more than 70 wildfires burning across the province. The fire was discovered on Monday and is currently out of control, which means it is spreading or anticipated to spread beyond its current perimeter.The BCWS says crews, supported by firefighters from Lytton First Nation, made “good progress” overnight and they are now focused on the north and south 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 due to wildfire. An evacuation alert requires residents to be prepared to leave quickly on short notice, if necessary. The BCWS dashboard says hot and dry weather is expected to continue this week across most of the province. It says northwest B.C. has cooler weather, as central and northeast B.C. are seeing warm seasonal temperatures. But the dashboard says southern B.C. will see very hot weather conditions, with temperatures five to 10 degrees above seasonal averages.It says thunderstorms are also expected to increase provincewide, with lightning risk peaking Tuesday.”Given the ongoing dry and warm conditions, there is an increase in the potential for wildfires with the risk for dry lightning,” it says.About 85 per cent of the fires burning in B.C. are believed to be caused by lightning, while 15 per cent are believed to be human-caused.It’s been four years since a fast-moving wildfire destroyed the village of Lytton and killed two people on June 30, 2021.The fire burned down about 90 per cent of the village, as well as buildings in the nearby Lytton First Nation.Delays have dragged out the rebuilding process, but some residents have since returned and a few businesses have opened back up. The district is asking those who need emergency support services to register online at ess.gov.bc.ca or call the TNRD Emergency Operations Centre at 250-377-7188 or toll-free at 1-866-377-7188.Those who need transportation assistance are asked to call TNRD at 250-377-7188.With files from Johna Baylon, Jenifer Norwell
Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., prompts evacuation order, local state of emergency
