BURST
Two wildfires near Lytton have forced officials to declare a state of emergency and prompted an evacuation order near Lytton, four years after the village burned down after a wildfire tore through the area.
An evacuation order was issued Tuesday night for three properties by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District due to immediate danger to life caused by the Izman Creek wildfire, a rapidly spreading fire near Highway 12.
Another nine properties are under evacuation alert, and the regional district has declared a local state of emergency for the Blue Sky Country region.
Additionally, the TNRD has issued an Evacuation Alert for approximately 9 addressed properties along Highway 12 due to the Izman Creek wildfire. Areas on Alert are located north, south, and east of the Order area.
— TNRD (@TNRD) July 2, 2025
More information: https://t.co/wgSZB4wUpR pic.twitter.com/Z9T7NotpVT
The fire has also led to the closure of Highway 12 between Lytton and Lillooet.
The Izman Creek wildfire is about 0.25 square kilometres in size, or 25 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
Another nearby fire — which broke out Monday — called the Nikaiai Creek wildfire on Spencer Road South is threatening two properties, now on evacuation order.
That fire is located about two kilometres from downtown Lytton on the western side of the Fraser River. It’s mapped at about 0.06 square kilometres, or six hectares, in size.
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.
Firefighting efforts could be hampered this week by the hot and dry weather, with temperatures expected to be over 30 C this week, with the possibility of wind.
More to come…
With files from The Canadian Press and Glenda Luymes