BCWS prioritizing building protection amid Saw Creek Wildfire

Firefighters with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) and Lytton Fire and Rescue are working to protect structures near the Saw Creek Wildfire, which has grown to 704 hectares as of Sunday (June 21).

Evacuation orders are in place for approximately 50 properties in the Village of Lytton and approximately 13 properties in TNRD Electoral Area “I” (Blue Sky Country).

An evacuation alert is in place for all properties south of the Village of Lytton to Siska Creek. According to the TNRD, about 165 properties in Lytton and two properties in Electoral Area “I” (Blue Sky Country) are now on alert.

The BCWS has assigned an Incident Management Team, 135 firefighting personnel, nine helicopters and 47 structure protection personnel to combat the blaze.

“Fire activity overnight was decreased due to cooler temperatures and lighter winds on site. Crews were working overnight, and they focused prioritizing the protection and defense of structures in the fire area,” said Shae Stearns, Kamloops Fire Centre information officer.

“It’s the same work they have been doing over the last couple of nights as well, and making gradual progress.”

TNRD Electoral Area “I” Director Tricia Thorpe said residents close to the blaze are feeling more optimistic on Sunday (June 21).

“I’ve been talking to some people who are a little closer to the fire and I think some of them are breathing a bit of a sigh of relief. We’re not out of the woods yet, but it’s looking more positive than it did Friday night (June 19) or Saturday morning (June 20) into early afternoon,” said Thorpe.

Thorpe said the Lytton residents have felt anxious, but past experience with wildfires, even before the devastating 2021 wildfire, have made people better prepared for emergencies.

“People were very vigilant – they look at and assess situations, and they have go bags. I know the first night, a lot of people I talk to didn’t sleep very well – and I’ll be honest, myself included – because there’s a certain amount of anxiety about what’s going to happen,” said Thorpe.

“[Firefighters] have managed to divert the fire away from the houses along Loring Way – which are the houses that were not impacted in 2021, they survived the wildfire in the village. That was, I think, a huge relief for a lot of people.”

The TNRD has the area under a state of local emergency and the Village of Lytton has issues a boil water notice to the entire community in response to the blaze.

Thorpe, who lost her home in the 2021 fire, compared this wildfire to the devastating blaze five years ago, noting an improved response with slightly more time to stop the advancing flames.

“I think we were more prepared because this wasn’t our first rodeo, for lack of a better term, and we had that cohesive response. People were reaching out to say what was happening and the communication was so much better than it was in ’21,” said Thorpe.

“Being able to pull that information together, being able to get it out there to residents is key to keeping them informed and maybe feeling a little less anxious.”

The wildfire is still considered out of control as of Sunday afternoon (June 21) and you can see a map of the evacuation alerts and orders below.

You can find resources on what to do if you are evacuated here and how to prepare in case you have to leave your property here.