British Columbia's minister of forests says there were reports of ash falling from the sky Monday night in Lytton as fire crews battle a wildfire near the community that was devastated by a separate blaze in 2021.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says residents of at least five properties south of Lytton in the Fraser Canyon have been warned to prepare for evacuation because of a wildfire that is out of control.
The Lytton First Nation and the Skuppah First Nation are threatened by the same fire that is about 1.5 square-kilometres in size.
Minister Ravi Parmar says it is a "challenging time (with) a lot of uncertainty" for the people of Lytton, which was mostly destroyed by a fire during the heat dome in June 2021.
Cliff Chapman, with the BC Wildfire Service, says from a tactical perspective fighting the blaze in the Lytton area is challenged by heat, terrain and wind, but he's confident the right resources are fighting the fire.
There are 63 active wildfires across the province and 623 fires have burned so far this year, down from 1,059 at the same time last year.
Chapman says 75 per cent of the province has seen a below-average fire season this year.
A wildfire service update says this week's forecasted above-seasonal temperatures and the risk of dry lightning across almost all of the province increases the probability of new fires, despite anticipated low winds.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.
Chuck Chiang and Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press
