The Massive Wildfire Terrorizing Lytton Is Only Expected To Get Bigger, Officers Say

Reports indicate that 90% of the town has been destroyed.

Staff Writer

After a week of record-breaking heat, the town of Lytton, B.C., is on fire, and local officers say that likely won't change anytime soon.

An evacuation order was issued for residents of Lytton — a small town five hours outside of Vancouver, in Central B.C. — on June 30, and multiple reports from the area indicate that 90% of the town has been destroyed in the blaze.

Speaking to Narcity over the phone, local Fire Information Officer Noelle Kekula said the high temperatures are only getting "stronger" and that the fire could still grow.

"We've heard that there's some unstable air coming in, which may lead to some more dry lightning. Not a lot of precipitation, if any," Kekula told Narcity. "If anything, what we may see is more active fire behaviour."

Temperatures in Lytton hit 49.6 degrees last week, breaking Canadian heat records left right and centre.

"It is heat that I can't even really describe," Kekula said. "So we need people to be very aware of how dry it is out there and to be very cognizant of how quickly a fire can start and take off."

This article's cover image is for illustrative purposes only.

  • Cormac O'Brien was an Associate Editor at Narcity Canada, covering all things exciting and trending about Canada. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism from the University of Victoria, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and was awarded the BCYNA Community News Scholarship for his writing. He was also the producer and co-host of Now On Narcity, Narcity's flagship podcast.

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