Nohomin Creek wildfire

Poor water access limited early efforts to fight Lytton fire

Poor water access limited early efforts to fight Lytton fire

In the first minutes of the Nohomin Creek wildfire, poor access to water hampered efforts to fight the blaze that would go on to consume several homes on Lytton First Nations’ land, according to Indigenous leaders. With the wildfire still burning and a heat wave on the horizon, First Nations in the Fraser Canyon are calling for greater water rights and better access to water for their communities. “I can only run my garden hose for 20 minutes before I run out of water,” said Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council chairman Matt Pasco, chief of the Oregon Jack Creek Band. “That’s not going to fight any fire.”