Wildfire south of Lytton, B.C., leads to evacuation alert

A wildfire around 10 kilometres south of Lytton, B.C., has led to an evacuation alert for five properties in the Fraser Canyon on Monday night.

The Cantilever Bar wildfire was discovered late Monday afternoon on the west side of the Fraser River, and it is visible from the Trans-Canada Highway.

It grew quickly and covered an area of 150 hectares as of 10 p.m. PT on Monday, with the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) deploying three helicopters and three ground attack crews to the site.

Around 9:30 p.m. PT, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) issued an evacuation alert for five properties along Spencer Road South.

Residents have been told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice if the wildfire, which is suspected to have been caused by human activity, approaches.

It was sparked on the same day a heat warning was issued for the Fraser Canyon, which includes Lytton, as Environment Canada says that maximum temperatures in the region are expected to hit between 35 C and 37 C between Tuesday and Thursday.

The BCWS said in a provincial situation report that above seasonal temperatures will be seen throughout B.C. this week, with the hottest areas set to be in the southern third of the province.

"In addition, there is a significant chance of dry lightning that could impact nearly all regions of the province throughout the week," the service says.

"This combination of rising temperatures, fuel drying and dry lightning increases the probability of new wildfires starting."

However, the report says winds are expected to remain light throughout the province.