Nohomin Creek wildfire up to 3,700 hectares in size, BCWS says

Photo: BC Wildfire Service

The Nohomin Creek wildfire on July 29.

The Nohomin Creek wildfire near Lytton is now estimated to be 3,700 hectares in size — a growth of over 500 hectares since Monday night.

According to BC Wildfire Service, the fire grew over Tuesday in the northwest corner, upslope north of the Stein River.

“The growth is all contained within the Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park and is moving west away from any communities,” BCWS said.

“In this area, the fire is burning on steep cliffs and rocky terrain that ground crews cannot access. This is the most active part of the fire, and further growth is expected in the far northwest area of the wildfire.”

BCWS said wildfires burn more quickly upslope because the fire pre-heats upslope fuels, making them more susceptible to ignition. Daytime warming can also cause upslope winds.

“At night, when temperatures cool, winds often shift downhill, resulting in downslope burning. Fire typically spreads more slowly downhill because the ground fuels are not pre-heated.”

BCWS said the fire’s south, north and east flanks remain stable, and crews are working to extinguish hotspots.

As of Tuesday night, there are two unit crews and two initial attack crews, three contract crews, five Lytton First Nation firefighters, structure protection personnel, a Lytton First Nation cultural liaison, and an Incident Management Team responding to the wildfire.

The ground crews are supported by eleven helicopters.

BCWS said aerial resources are being shared between the Nohomin Creek wildfire and Maria Creek wildfire, another wildfire of note burning northeast of Pavilion.

Photo: BC Wildfire Service

The Nohomin Creek wildfire perimeter as of July 29.