This map shows the approximate perimeter of the Nohomin Creek Fire burning near Lytton. UPDATE: 5:39 p.m Fire activity remained relatively steady throughout the day Tuesday for crews battling a 2,000-hectare blaze near Lytton. The Nohomin Creek Fire ignited last Thursday and grew rapidly, but remained relatively stable in size as of Sunday. “The actual activity on the line is not changing,” BC Wildfire information officer Nicole Bonnett told Castanet. “They’re making good progress, fire activity is still minimal on the northeast and south sides, which is good and allows crews to make really good progress.” Bonnett said most of the fire seen by crews was on the west side, specifically on a section of the mountainside. BCWS officials still expect increased fire activity on the Nohomin Creek Fire as temperatures rise this week. Photo: BCWS UPDATE: 9:20 a.m BC Wildfire crews worked tirelessly Monday to complete the emergency line along the fire. In an update Tuesday morning, BCWFS says crews reached the scree slope and used the natural feature to tie their line. “The perimeter of the fire along this line has burned quite patchily and unevenly. Today crews will continue to sweep along this line and put out hot spots and smoke up to 50 feet from the perimeter,” the update said. A section of the south corner on the west side was more active yesterday afternoon. BC Wildfire says helicopters will drop buckets in the area today. A line locator has also been introduced to assess the feasibility of equipment operating in this sector. ORIGINAL: 6:37 AM A warming and drying trend during the week is expected to contribute to increased fire behavior and potentially unstable conditions on the Nohomin Creek Fire burning northwest of Lytton. “With less cloud cover, sunny weather and temperatures warming more quickly during the day, relative humidity will be lower than over the weekend and fuels will continue to dry,” says the BC Fire Service. The fire reached 2,058 acres on Monday. In its latest update after 10 p.m., BCWS says Monday afternoon’s winds were challenging, with gusts of up to 60 km/h in places, but that containment lines on the south, east and north sides held up well . “Crews working on the south side have again made great progress,” the fire service said. “The line they built over the last few days using direct attack methods on the edge of the fire while expanding the water supply system as they move up the steep slope is now tied to the slope. “Crews working along the Stein Valley trail made great progress installing a tire and installing a sprinkler system.” Work also continued on the fire that was spotted Sunday morning near the start of the Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park hiking trail. Protecting Stein Valley’s Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park will continue to be a priority. A representative from Lytton First Nation who specializes in archaeological sites and cultural values is working with BCWS structural protection specialists and crews to identify cultural values along the route and the best options to protect them. Along the east side, initial attack crews and Lytton First Nation firefighters continued to extinguish pockets of heat and smoke found during their mop-up efforts and patrolling around structures. Crews working on the north side also made good progress, where a unit crew continues guard deployment on a steep ridge. A new emergency line was located closer to the head of the north flank as other options were impossible due to terrain. “While the south, east and north flanks of the fire are currently showing minimal fire activity, the west flank remains active but much of the terrain is steep and unworkable. Helicopters provided bucket support throughout the day and continue to have good success on both the north and south flanks, allowing crews to safely continue the direct attack on the fire.” The fire remains out of control and its cause is under investigation. Currently there are: four unit crews, five initial attack crews, 19 Lytton First Nation firefighters, an Incident Management Team, structure protection personnel, four water tenders, 10 helicopters and other operational and support personnel supporting the response.
