Lytton wildfire consumes barn, evacuation order in effect

A rapidly moving wildfirenorth of Lytton, B.C., that led to the tactical evacuation of 45homes in theBotanie Valley Thursdaynight has now consumed a barn.

A public meeting has been called to update residents on the changing conditions.

Mike Garrett, emergency Services supervisor for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, saysthe raging Botanie Creek fire forced officials to declare a state of local emergencyin the Blue Sky Country electoral area.

• Botanie Creek wildfire information bulletins

"It's pretty aggressive. It's grown pretty substantiallyin the last 12 hours,even," he told CBC News. "It started out pretty small yesterday and now it's grown quite a bit."

As of Friday evening, thefire had grown from 470 hectares to 1,500 hectares and was zero per centcontained.

Anevacuation order was issuedThursday for residences along Botanie Creek Road from the junction with Highway 12 to Botanie Lake, and anevacuation alert was issuedtodayfor other properties along the Highway 12 corridor, from Botanie Creek Road to theLaluwissinForestService Road's western boundary with the Bootanie IR 15.

A reception centre has been set up at the Parish Hall in Lytton for those affected by the evacuation order.

MarieHester was one of the people that had to leave her home because of the fire Thursday night.

"It was quite spectacular last night. It ran up a ridge of a mountain that's between Botanie Valley and Highway 12, so in the dark it was a big line of fire going up the mountain. And, of course, lots and lots of smoke," she said.

Kayla Pepper, speakingfor the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch, said crews would be working again today to try and contain the fire.

"Yesterday there was helicopters, firefighter and air tankers. We had an initial attack crew monitor the fire overnight, to watch when it hit thos trigger points, to make sure the community was safe," she said.

"Today we have another 21 firefighters heading out there and they will be joined by more helicopter support as needed."

The Thomspon-Nicola regional district ordered the evacuation of approximately 35 propertiesearlier this week due to the Maka-Murray fire, burning between Hope andMerritt.

• Wildfires force more evacuations in B.C., but forecast rains could spell relief