Lytton residents – Residents in Lytton, British Columbia are facing another evacuation alert as the Saw Creek wildfire threatens the community roughly five years after a devastating 2021 blaze killed two people and destroyed most of the village.
Smoke drifted across the Fraser River just before 5 p.m. on Friday, and Judith Urquhart didn’t need to be told what it meant.
The Lytton resident said the smell in the air was unmistakable and that her body went into motion immediately. “You know that there is an imminent danger with that amount of smell in the air,” she said. “Adrenaline rush, not quite triggering, because at the same time you’re so focused on getting ready to leave.”.
Urquhart and her husband lost their home in the 2021 wildfire that tore through Lytton, killing two people and destroying most of the village. Although they rebuilt, another fire is now threatening the community—and again, they’re under an evacuation alert.
The Saw Creek wildfire was discovered Friday about three kilometres south of Lytton. By Saturday, it had grown to an estimated six square kilometres. More than 60 properties are under evacuation order. while about 170 are under evacuation alert. meaning residents are required to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The Lytton First Nation has also issued an evacuation order for some residents.
Highway 1 is closed for about 116 kilometres between Boston Bar and Cache Creek.
For Urquhart, the sudden return of smoke and emergency notices isn’t just inconvenient—it brings the past roaring back. “It’s surreal, and I think a lot of people are saying the same thing,” she said. “How can this be happening again.” She described how the heat. the alerts and orders. and the haze reminded her of June 30. 2021. when flames swept through Lytton just a day after the village recorded a Canadian temperature record of 49.6 C.
Despite more than $140 million in federal and provincial funding, Urquhart said recovery has been slow, with only a few dozen homes rebuilt. The village now has about 75 residents, down from a population of 210 before the 2021 fire.
Standing in the middle of another emergency is Joe and Katrina Justice, both members of the Lytton First Nation. The couple said the latest fire has returned the same mix of fear and uncertainty that came with the 2021 blaze.
They lost their home in 2021 and recently moved into a rebuilt home on Indian Reserve 18, which is now under an evacuation alert. “Oh man, here we go again,” Joe said. “Five years later, that’s crazy how this is working out.”
Katrina said she’s hopeful the wildfire won’t reach her property this time. but she also described damage already unfolding around her. Her uncle’s home on Kitzowitz Indian Reserve 20 has burned down. she said. and several homes on the reserve—where an evacuation order has been in effect since Friday—have been destroyed. She said her uncle was on his way to Chilliwack when the fire broke out and couldn’t get back because the highway was closed.
Katrina said her family has been coordinating through a group chat and sending money to help her uncle. who is staying in Chilliwack. Joe added that he 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.”.
In Lytton, the urgency has also pushed people toward each other in real time. The couple said community members have turned to social media to check on one another and to vent fears as the situation develops.
In a nearby community, people are watching closely too. In Spences Bridge. about 27 kilometres northeast of Lytton. Dorothy Boragno—owner of a local inn—said locals can smell smoke from the Saw Creek fire. She said it’s enough to unsettle anyone who lived through 2021. “People are so shaken up,” Boragno said. “It was so smoky … you can smell burning trees and it triggers everyone.”.
Boragno said she stayed behind during the 2021 evacuation to provide lodging for firefighters, saying, “Because we’ve been through this before, we know the drill.”
Behind the scenes, resources are being brought to bear. The B.C. Wildfire Service said 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 response has been “incredible,” with fire crews working nonstop. Still, she said the community understands how quickly everything can flip. “We don’t want the story to play out the same way.”
Lytton Saw Creek wildfire evacuation alert evacuation order British Columbia Wildfire Service Highway 1 closure Fraser River smoke Lytton First Nation 2021 wildfire recovery
So the wildfire just came back like nothing??
Wait is this the same Lytton from that viral 2021 video? How do they rebuild and then get hit again so fast. That’s wild and honestly unfair.
I don’t get the difference between evacuation alert vs order… like if they’re smelling smoke then it’s already too late right? Sounds like they’re just stalling everyone. Also Highway 1 being closed 116 km feels exaggerated or something.
Five years later and they’re doing this again. Makes you wonder if the ‘rebuilt’ part was like… temporary shelters or what. People keep saying climate change but then it’s still the weather and wind, so idk, seems like a system problem too.