Despite the recent hot and dry temperatures the Nohomin Creek wildfire which sparked near Lytton over a week ago, did not grow over the weekend.

BC Wildfire Service Fire Information Officer Nicole Bonnett says the fire, which is still estimated at 22 square kilometres, is being held in virtually all areas except inside the Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park–located on the fire’s northwest.

“The north, south, and east flanks and sort of the western flank of the fire that’s south of the Stein Valley, crews have been able to put in containment lines. So as part of that each day, they are just making progress further from the containment line and deeper into the fire perimeter, just putting out any hot spots that show up along those edges.”

Bonnett explains that crews have been using aerial infrared scanning to locate those “hot spots” over the past few nights.

“So when we get those scanning results back, crews are able to go out and kind of search out the spots that have kind of shown up from that scan and go after those in the heat of the day,” she said. “Some of those have dug in a little bit deeper so, they are a little bit more persistent. So trying to get those smokes out, particularly in and around the community and structure areas.”

However, due to the steep terrain of the fire, crews are unable to access certain areas of the fire on the ground. Bonnett adds that aerial attacks on portions of the fire ground crews cannot reach does not do much to help contain it.

“Helicopters are supporting crews on the ground, helping keep down some of the heat throughout the day and refilling relay tanks to help get water access higher up on the hillsides there. But ultimately, going direct attack with aircraft doesn’t do a whole lot if we cannot follow it up in safe places for crews to go on the ground,” she said.

“So a lot of the aerial support at this time is supporting the work that the crews are doing, and if there are places that make sense and they would have a longer-term impact then it’s an option that’s available for the ops team out there to consider.”

Despite the fire being held in several areas of the Nohomin Creek wildfire, Bonnett says they are unsure when its status will change from ‘out of control’ to ‘under control.’

“That status is not indicative of the fire activity or fire behavior what its indicative of is that we can’t confidently say the fire is not going to grow in size, and particularly in that northern area of the Stein Valley, because it is pre-burning in areas, the fire perimeter will continue to grow and so that’s where that out of control piece remains.”

At least six properties were destroyed with more than 100 forced to leave their homes on the west side of the Fraser River.

For the latest on the Nohomin Creek wildfire, click here.

-With files from Paul James