Wildfire near Lytton, B.C., which triggered evacuations is declared held

The Saw Creek blaze that triggered evacuations in and around the community of Lytton, B.C., is now being held, the provincial wildfire service reported on Tuesday.

The status of the seven-square-kilometre blaze discovered last Friday was downgraded after a days-long battle involving about 200 firefighters.

Tricia Thorpe, a director with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said she’s relieved to hear the news, though there is also sadness that the fire destroyed at least one home in the regional district.

“Moving from that red flame to the yellow is huge when you watch B.C. wildfire maps,” she said, describing the colour-coded system used online by the fire service to identify the status of a fire.

“So, I’m really happy. I’m kind of breathing a sigh of relief, and I suspect a lot of the community is as well.”

The latest fire came five years to the month that another blaze killed two people and destroyed most of the Village of Lytton. A scorching heat dome was sitting over the province at the time and Lytton set a Canadian heat record the day before the fire of 49.6 C.

Thorpe, who lives just on the edge of the village, said the 2021 fire was a “defining moment in everybody’s life.”

“Whenever something like this happens, it does bring up memories. But I think we have learned a lot from ’21 and we’re implementing what we’ve learned, and I think that speaks highly of the community being able to pivot and adapt,” she said.

She said the community is better prepared than it was five years ago when the fire arrived quickly and people were forced to “basically run for your life.”

“I think that it’s almost in our DNA, you know? The minute the snow is gone, you’ve got a go-bag packed, and you’ve got things ready to go, and you’re vigilant,” she said.

“I think we’ve made connections that we didn’t have in ’21 because you know, when it comes to disaster, quite frankly, in my opinion, your strongest assets are your people in your community, and those connections you have.”

The B.C. Wildfire Service said that it expected Tuesday to be the hottest and driest day in the current forecast period.

The Saw Creek fire’s new status now means it’s not expected to grow beyond its current perimeter.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a handful of properties remained under evacuation order while hundreds of others are on evacuation alert, and residents need to be prepared to leave quickly if required.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2026.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press