The Nohomin Creek wildfire has grown to nearly 3,000 hectares.
The BC Wildfire Service said ongoing hot and dry conditions increased fire activity on Friday, though the fire is not moving at a significant pace. It is now estimated to be 2,946 hectares.
“There was minimal growth in the high elevation areas, however, the fire was quite active in steep, rugged terrain where access is limited. Helicopters were bucketing steadily through the day and were effective in reducing fire behaviour. The rocky slopes and sparse fuels have slowed fire growth in certain areas,” BCWS said in a recent update.
READ MORE: Nohomin Creek wildfire continues to grow
Crews have been battling the blaze near Lytton amid sweltering heat for several days. Temperatures in the area have exceeded 40 degrees since Tuesday (July 26). The high temperatures require crews to take frequent breaks to prevent heat stress and exhaustion.
In the Stein Valley, crews are still working to establish wet lines and fuel-free areas. So far, 1,150 feet of hose and sprinkler systems have been installed along the Stein Valley walking path to protect infrastructure and Indigenous cultural sites within the Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park.
The Lytton Ferry is now back in service and available to transport crews across the Fraser River. The ferry was out of service for much of the fire due to high river flows. Crew transportation to both the ferry and helicopters will significantly decrease travel time to the worksite and increase crew hours on the fire and overall safety.
BCWS has deployed significant resources to battle the blaze including three unit crews, six initial attack crews, two five-pack contract crews, 18 Lytton First Nation firefighters, an Incident Management Team, structure protection personnel, a cultural liaison from Lytton First Nation, three water tenders, 10 helicopters and other operational and support staff supporting the response.
@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca
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