‘How can this be happening again?’: Residents in Lytton, B.C., face another wildfire

Judith Urquhart was visiting the Lytton Chinese History Museum on Friday afternoon when she saw smoke drifting across the Fraser River.

It was just before 5 p.m., and Urquhart knew she had to get home quickly.

“You know that there is an imminent danger with that amount of smell in the air,” the Lytton, B.C., resident added.

“Adrenaline rush, not quite triggering, because at the same time you’re so focused on getting ready to leave.”

She and her husband lost their home in 2021 when a wildfire tore through Lytton, B.C., killing two people and destroying most of the village. Although they rebuilt, a new fire is threatening the community and they are once again under an evacuation alert.

Dozens of homes evacuated as out-of-control wildfire threatens Lytton, B.C.

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The Saw Creek wildfire was discovered Friday about three kilometres south of Lytton and had grown to an estimated six square kilometres by Saturday. 

More than 60 properties are under evacuation order, while about 170 more are under evacuation alert, meaning residents must be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The Lytton First Nation has also issued an evacuation order for some of its residents.

Highway 1 is closed for about 116 kilometres between Boston Bar and Cache Creek.

“It’s surreal,  and I think a lot of people are saying the same thing,” Urquhart said. “How can this be happening again.”

She says the smoke, the heat, the evacuation alerts and orders brought back memories of June 30, 2021, when flames swept through Lytton just a day after the village had recorded a Canadian temperature record of 49.6 C.

Despite more than $140 million in federal and provincial funding, the recovery has been slow, with only a few dozen homes rebuilt. There are currently about 75 residents in the village, which had a population of 210 before the 2021 fire. 

Witness captures video of wildfire near Lytton in early stages

Joe and Katrina Justice, members of the Lytton First Nation, say the latest fire has brought another round of loss and fear.

The couple lost their home in the 2021 fire and recently moved into a rebuilt home on Indian Reserve 18, which is now under an evacuation alert.

“Oh man, here we go again,” he said. “Five years later, that’s crazy how this is working out.”

Katrina said she is hopeful the fire won’t reach her property this time around but the blaze is already wreaking havoc in the community.

Her uncle’s home on Kitzowitz Indian Reserve 20 has burned down as the Saw Creek wildfire rages south of Lytton, she said. Several homes on the reserve, which has been under an evacuation order since Friday, have been destroyed, according to the couple.

Katrina said her uncle had been on his way to Chilliwack when the fire broke out and could not get back because the highway was closed.

“We do have a family chat so we all know my uncle is doing good … we gathered money and we sent him money to help him out,” she said speaking about her uncle who is currently staying in Chilliwack. 

The couple said community members have turned to social media to check on one another and vent some of their fears about the latest fire.

Joe said he also went to his daughter’s home, which was under evacuation order, to collect belongings, photos and her cats.

“My daughter was worried about her cats,” he said. “That’s her family.”

Meanwhile, those in a neighbouring community are watching anxiously.

In Spences Bridge, about 27 kilometres northeast of Lytton, the owner of a local inn, Dorothy Boragno, said locals can smell the smoke from the Saw Creek fire. It’s enough to unsettle anyone who lived through 2021, she said.

“People are so shaken up,” said Boragno.

“It was so smoky … you can smell burning trees and it triggers everyone.”

Back in 2021, Boragno stayed behind even when the town was evacuated to provide lodging for firefighters. 

Lytton was razed by fire — but new facilities’ upkeep could lead to financial ruin

“Because we’ve been through this before, we know the drill,” she said.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says 130 personnel are fighting the fire, supported by nine helicopters and structure protection crews. The fire is believed to be human-caused, a designation used for fires not started by lightning.

Urquhart said the wildfire response has been “incredible,” and fire crews have been working nonstop.

Still, she said, people in Lytton know how quickly things can change.

“We don’t want the story to play out the same way.”