The fast-moving wildfire which broke out Monday afternoon in an area southwest of Lytton has continued its march through the ‘westside’ area of the community.

The BC Wildfire Service is now reporting the Cantilever Bar fire has managed to grow to 650 hectares through Wednesday, adding another two-square kilometers to its size the day before.

The fire, which took hold south of the southern CN Rail crossing over the Fraser River on Monday afternoon, exploded in size in its early hours, chewing up around 2.5 square kilometers in just a few hours due to the hot, dry conditions at the time.

Dozens of ground crews, as well as a small fleet of water-bombing helicopters, have been trying to ensure that fire doesn’t make an easternly track toward the Fraser River and the various homes belonging to local First Nations and a handful of TNRD residents — all of whom remain under an evacuation alert.

As part of a briefing on Tuesday, BC Wildfire Service Director Cliff Chapman — as part of a provincial government update on the overall fire situation — did say they feel they have enough resources in the area to keep the fire away from properties should conditions shift.

Conditions in the Fraser Canyon — and many parts of the Southern and Central Interior regions — are proving to be a new threat.

This includes a pair of wildfires caused by lightening generated through 38-degree conditions through the Kamloops area on Wednesday afternoon.

The fires east of Heffley Creek quickly grew Wednesday evening, including one near the main route in and out of Sun Peaks.

No evacuation orders or alerts have been issued with those fires.

However, evacuation alerts issued by both the Thompson Nicola Regional District and the Lytton First Nation in the hours after the fire began, are maintaining an evacuation alert.

They were later joined by the Siska and Skuppah First Nations.

At this point, no evacuation orders have been issued, as the fire is tracking northwest away from properties located closer to the Fraser River.

Access and egress to the fire zone on the west side of the Fraser River is notoriously difficult, with reports that crews are being taken in and out of the area via helicopter, rather than by vehicle, as that would require using the Lytton Ferry service, or drive in 45 kilometers on a dirt path that snakes along a difficult route in from Lillooet.

BC Wildfire isn’t able to deploy its heavy-hitting water bombing fleet due to the tight flying conditions in the Fraser Canyon — relying on helicopters instead.

Temperatures in the Fraser Canyon exceeded 40 degrees on Wednesday, with expectations of similar temperatures through Thursday before a high-pressure system breaks down.

That breakdown is expected to generate wind gusts which have the ability to exacerbate wildfire behavior.

Video showing panoramic view of fire which burned areas west of Lytton/via Tricia Thorpe