Following three straight days of breaking records for the highest temperatures ever recorded in Canada, the village of Lytton, B.C. is burning.
An out-of-control wildfire that had been burning near the town caught the wind late Wednesday afternoon and began tearing through the town. Images posted to social media show homes, stores and the local health centre engulfed by flames.
The village is home to about 250 people, and about 1,700 people live on surrounding Nlaka’pamux nation reserves and rural areas. Mayor Jan Polderman issued an evacuation order at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening, saying all buildings and people in the town were threatened by the blaze.
Since the fire progressed quickly through the town, many had no time to take belongings with them or check in with family members about where they planned to evacuate.
Leesa Van Peteghen, among those evacuated, posted a video to Facebook Wednesday evening making a call for help.
“Right now it is 10 minutes after 8 p.m. on June 30,” she said. “Lytton is burnt or burning and everyone is evacuated. Prayers to everyone and the animals and everything.”
Cities to the north, south and east of Lytton — Lillooet, Boston Bar and Merritt — all set up emergency evacuation centres, and First Nations outside of the area threatened by the fire also opened up their offices for people seeking shelter.
The Lytton evacuation order was followed by a larger set of evacuation orders by the Thompson Nicola Regional District, which also include Copper Desert Country and Blue Sky Country, areas threatened by other nearby fires.
At its hottest, Lyton reached 49.5C on Tuesday.
More to come
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After breaking heat records, village of Lytton, B.C. burns in fast-moving wildfire - Toronto Star
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