Evacuation orders to be issued near Lytton, B.C. as Highway 1 closed by wildfire

British Columbia·NewEvacuation orders to be issued near Lytton as Highway 1 closed by wildfireAn out-of-control wildfire has led to evacuation alerts for residents of Lytton, B.C., as well as some members of the Lytton First Nation on Friday.

The Saw Creek wildfire burning around three kilometres south of the village and has led to the closure of Highway 1.Saw Creek wildfire burning around 3 kilometres south of Fraser Canyon village, B.C.

Wildfire Service saysAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Jun 20, 2026 12:18 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes agoPlayListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

The Saw Creek wildfire south of Lytton, B.C., is seen on June 19, 2026.

This photo was taken from just north of the main village of Lytton, which is under evacuation alert due to the blaze. (Submitted by John Haugen)Social SharingEvacuation are set to be issued near Lytton, B.C.

, due to a wildfire, according to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD).Evacuation alerts are also in place for residents of Lytton as well as some members of the Lytton First Nation due to the Saw Creek wildfire. The fire is burning around three kilometres south of the village, leading to the closure of Highway 1 nearby.

In a post on social media, the TNRD said a formal evacuation order will be issued for residents of Electoral Area I, covering an area just southeast of the village of Lytton.Shae Stearns, a fire information officer with the B.C.

Wildfire Service, said just before 8 p.m. PT that the fire was burning over an area of 100 hectares close to the highway and nearby structures."

Hot and dry conditions have been present throughout the day and throughout the past couple days," she said."So it has made fuels highly susceptible to ignition. So we are expecting additional growth on that size as well."

Stearns said that the fire is suspected to have been caused by human activity.The Saw Creek wildfire south of Lytton, B.C.

, is seen on June 19, 2026. It has resulted in the closure of Highway 1 nearby. (B.

C. Wildfire Service)An evacuation alert has been issued for residents of Lytton, as well as for residents of the Lytton First Nation north of the Klahkamich 17 reserve.Evacuation alerts say residents should be ready to leave at a moment's notice, but are not evacuation orders, which mean residents should leave immediately.

Stearns said that aerial resources were helping ground crews battling the fire on Friday night, with structure protection specialists also pressed into action.The Lytton First Nation has issued an Evacuation Alert for residents located north of Klahkamich 17 due to the Saw Creek <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCWildfire?

src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCWildfire</a>. There is no need to evacuate now, but be prepared to do so on short notice if an evacuation order is issued. If an evacuation order is issued,…

<a href="https://t.co/KdJStUrolI">pic.twitter.

com/KdJStUrolI</a>&mdash;EmergencyInfoBCDriveBC said that Highway 1 was closed in both directions just after 6 p.m. PT between Ashcroft and Boston Bar due to the fire.

Commuters have been told to take the Coquihalla Highway or Highway 97C as alternate routes.⛔️ REMINDER <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCHwy1?

src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy1</a> - The highway is closed between <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BostonBarBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BostonBarBC</a> and <a href="https://x.

com/hashtag/AshcroftBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AshcroftBC</a> due to the Saw Creek wildfire south of <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/LyttonBC?

src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LyttonBC</a>. <br>No estimated time of reopening available. Use <a href="https://x.

com/hashtag/BCHwy5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy5</a> or <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/BCHwy97C?

src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy97C</a> as alternate routes. <br>ℹ️For more info:<a href="https://t.co/XUw5NVp63q">https://t.

co/XUw5NVp63q</a>&mdash;DriveBCDriveBC said there was no estimated reopening time for the stretch of Highway 1 in the Fraser Canyon, as of 9 p.m. PT on Friday.

The Village of Lytton was all but destroyed in a June 2021 wildfire that was sparked amid record heat.Rebuilding progress has been slow in the village in the years since.WATCH | Calls to brace for wildfire season:Provincial officials warn British Columbians to brace for an intense wildfire seasonJune 16|Duration 1:45Provincial officials are warning British Columbians to brace for an intense wildfire season as B.

C. is much drier than normal. As the CBC's Jon Hernandez reports, above-average temperatures in the forecast are expected to make conditions more challenging.

As of 9:30 p.m. PT, there were 16 active wildfires in B.

C. — with the Saw Creek wildfire the only "fire of note," a designation which means it is particularly visible or poses a t