Latest news with #SquamishFireRescue
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Alerts lifted as favourable weather helps B.C. wildfire fight
Rain in northern British Columbia and cooler weather in the south have brought some relief for residents living near wildfires. The remaining evacuation alerts related to the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire, northwest of Fort. St. John, were rescinded Monday, although the Peace River Regional District said new orders or alerts may be issued if the situation changes. The B.C. Wildfire Service said crews were still on the scene in Squamish to extinguish hot spots from the Dryden Creek fire, about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver, which was declared to be under control on Saturday. The progress in the firefight means evacuation alerts for most homes closest to the blaze have been lifted, while Mayor Armand Hurford said evacuation orders have been issued for two properties due to possible slope instability. "Wildfire crews have been sharing stories of big trees that are usually quite resilient to wildfire, but because of the rocky terrain they're only hanging on by their roots and the roots are being burnt out," Hurford said Monday. "Trees that would normally survive are falling, and the trees themselves and the debris that they've disturbed roll downhill towards the affected properties." Hurford said the B.C. Wildfire Service is now the lead on the blaze, taking over from Squamish Fire Rescue. Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Aaron Foote said the city has an "extremely busy fire department" even without a wildfire. "The calls don't stop outside of the wildfire, so our crews are busy running around all day and night," he said. Foote said more favourable conditions are forecast for this week, with lower temperatures and rain expected on Wednesday. He said there are about 57 wildfire fighters on the blaze, with four tree fallers and three helicopters that continue to bucket areas that are not accessible by those on the ground. B.C. Parks said Alice Lake Provincial Park will reopen on Tuesday after the wildfire forced the closure because the access road into the park was threatened. Kiskatinaw River fire remains out of control In northeastern B.C., the wildfire service said flames are no longer visible from the Kiskatinaw River fire after it was doused with more than 20 millimetres of rainfall over the weekend. But B.C. Wildfire Service fire behaviour analyst Neal McLoughlin said in a video posted Sunday that it "doesn't mean the fire isn't active underground," so crews remain on scene. The blaze — located southeast of Dawson Creek — is still rated as out of control, and is one of three wildfires of note in B.C. Wildfires of note are defined as fires that are highly visible or that pose a potential threat to public safety. "When we receive this amount of rain on a fire, it's going to take several days of hot, dry conditions before our fuel moisture conditions recover and allow the fire to become active on the surface again," McLoughlin said in the video. "So, this change in weather has really given us the upper hand for the next week to get ahead of fire suppression activities." He said the northeast has experienced several years of drought, and while the rain improves firefighting conditions, the landscape is still receptive to fire. "Twenty millimetres of rain is wonderful, but we know there's hot spots still within the fire perimeter, and we also know that there's deep underlying drought, and so within a week of drying conditions, we could see active fire on the surface again, and for that reason, we need to maintain active fire suppression over the weeks to come and wrap this fire."
Global News
4 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Cooler temperatures help B.C. crews gain edge on wildfires
Firefighters are marking success in opposite corners of British Columbia after favourable weather this weekend allowed crews to rein in two prominent fires that have triggered evacuation orders and alerts. The BC Wildfire Service says crews remain on the scene in Squamish, B.C., to extinguish hot spots from the Dryden Creek fire, which was declared to be no longer out of control on Saturday. The District of Squamish Emergency Operations Centre along with Squamish Fire Rescue have rescinded most evacuation alerts, though one remains in effect for properties on Dryden Road east. The wildfire service says cooler temperatures this weekend allowed crews to decrease fire behaviour and conditions are forecast to remain cool and damp, with rain expected on Wednesday, as aircrews continue bucketing operations. The Dryden Creek fire about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver had triggered a local state of emergency in the District of Squamish last week, and was declared as 'being held' on Saturday. Story continues below advertisement 2:04 Fire fight continues as Squamish wildfire now considered held The wildfire service meanwhile says flames are no longer visible from the Kiskatinaw River fire in the northeast corner of the province, after it was doused with more than 20 millimetres of rain over the weekend. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy But BC Wildfire Service fire behaviour analyst Neal McLoughlin says in a video posted Sunday that 'that doesn't mean the fire isn't active underground' so crews remain on scene. The blaze is still rated as out of control, and it is one of three wildfires of note in B.C. 'When we receive this amount of rain on a fire, it's going to take several days of hot, dry conditions before our fuel moisture conditions recover and allow the fire to become active on the surface again,' McLoughlin says in the video. 'So this change in weather has really given us the upper hand for the next week to get ahead of fire suppression activities.' Story continues below advertisement But, he notes, the northeast has been 'experiencing several years of drought,' so while the rain improves firefighting conditions, the landscape is still receptive to fire. 'Twenty millimetres of rain is wonderful, but we know there's hot spots still within the fire perimeter, and we also know that there's deep underlying drought, and so within a week of drying conditions, we could see active fire on the surface again, and for that reason, we need to maintain active fire suppression over the weeks to come and wrap this fire.'
Global News
6 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Squamish wildfire fight helped by cooler weather, but emergency remains
Officials say a wildfire near Squamish, B.C., which forced the evacuation of the nearby Alice Lake Provincial Park and triggered a local state of emergency earlier this week appears to have stabilized after help from cool, cloudy weather conditions. The District of Squamish says the Dryden Creek wildfire has held steady at 0.6 square kilometres in size since Friday. It says the BC Wildfire Service anticipates reclassifying the blaze as being held in the coming days. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The district says 65 B.C. wildland firefighters, five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment are on scene to work alongside Squamish Fire Rescue staff to contain the fire. Although weather conditions seem favourable for firefighting efforts, the district says a state of local emergency remains in place and many nearby properties are still under an evacuation alert. Story continues below advertisement The district is warning visitors to be mindful of the emergency response effort underway and stay away from closed trails so as not to strain resources. The BC Wildfire Service says the fire is suspected to be human-caused, which has led to a police investigation and an appeal for information from the Squamish RCMP. The blaze near Squamish is one of 94 wildfires burning throughout B.C., most of which are in the province's northeast.
Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
BC Wildfire Service expects Squamish fire held soon, as residents celebrate rain
A fire that has been burning out of control as it threatened Squamish, B.C., this week is expected to be declared 'held' in the next couple days, a spokesman with the BC Wildfire Service said Friday. Rory Baldwin told a news briefing that crews expected good progress this weekend thanks to favourable weather, while District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said rain on Thursday night had prompted celebrations on the streets. The blaze north of Vancouver — which triggered a local state of emergency and has been deemed 'out of control' since it was discovered on Monday — was 60 hectares in size, with Hurford attributing an increase to improved mapping. 'It's been a long week,' Hurford told the briefing Friday, while noting that the community that's halfway between Vancouver and Whistler usually sees a lot of traffic and visitors over the weekend. Hurford said he'd heard of people wanting to return to closed trails, but it was not safe to 'push the limits.' 'We want visitors to be mindful of the extensive emergency response that's underway,' he said. Squamish Fire Rescue chief Aaron Foote told the briefing that extra ground crews and another helicopter had arrived to help the fight. The district had earlier said on social media that a Black Hawk helicopter would be helping the aerial fleet bucket the flames. Foote said there had been strong progress at the southern end of the fire and the heavy bucketing was underway in the north. He also noted fire activity had 'decreased substantially' thanks to an increase in humidity. But he said burning trees had dropped overnight, within about 40 metres of homes. More than 200 properties, including multi-family dwellings, were under evacuation alert, he added. Foote said there had been a 'truly incredible' outpouring of support from the community for the local and BC Wildfire Service firefighters. Baldwin said he expected the fire to be declared held 'within the next operational period or the day after that.' The Squamish fire is among about 100 blazes actively burning across the province. The Pocket Knife Creek wildfire in the northeast is the biggest in the province at more than 1,500 square kilometres, and the wildfire service says it has grown significantly since merging with another fire on Sunday. But BC Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci said in a video update on social media on Thursday that anticipated rain could aid in suppression efforts this weekend. She says she's hopeful the rain will help, although the fire has a large perimeter and it remains to be seen how much the rain affects fire behaviour. It is one of three wildfires of note, alongside the Kiskatinaw River fire and the Summit Lake fire, all of which are in the northeast where most of the province's fire activity is concentrated. A situational report posted to the service website on Friday said rain was also forecast for most of northern B.C. this weekend before easing Sunday, and warned of the possibility of slides caused by sudden rainfall on eroded areas. The report noted a 'warming trend' was expected to return to the province on Sunday, which could then stretch into next week and increase fire behaviour. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Alice Lake Provincial Park evacuated as Squamish wildfire doubles in size
Crews battle the Dryden Creek wildfire, which prompted a local state of emergency in Squamish, B.C., on June 10, 2025. (Credit: Instagram/@JillianABrownPhotography) A wildfire tearing through the forests of Squamish, B.C., has grown to cover more than 50 hectares, resulting in the evacuation of the nearby Alice Lake Provincial Park. In an update just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, the Squamish District said the increased wind activity over the afternoon had caused growth along the north flank of the blaze, and it was now estimated to measure 54 hectares in size. Following recommendations from the BC Wildfire Service and Squamish Fire Rescue, BC Parks placed the popular hiking and camping spot under evacuation order Wednesday afternoon. 'In the interest of public safety, all visitors should evacuate the park immediately and remain out of the area until further notice,' BC Parks said in an advisory published on its website. According to the district, the Dryden Creek fire had not yet reached the park but its smoke and predicted movement was enough to warrant its closure. 'While the fire is not currently threatening park facilities, ongoing fire growth towards access routes and reduced visibility prompted the recommendation,' it said. The five helicopters tasked with tackling the blaze remained on site throughout Wednesday, filling buckets with water from Alice Lake in a bid to quell the flames. Additional support was provided by air tankers during the afternoon, the district said. Speaking to media on Wednesday afternoon, Marc Simpson, Pemberton wildfire officer for the BC Wildfire Service, said tackling the north flank of the fire would be crews' next challenge and it could prove difficult due to the area's steep, inaccessible cliffs. 'It will be a multi-week process for some of these areas where our crews cannot access,' he said. The district advised motorists travelling through the area to expect reduced visibility on Highway 99 at the north end of the municipality. Residents have been asked to conserve water to support the fire suppression efforts, while the public have been advised to stay clear of the area, especially the hiking trails close to the wildfire. A local state of emergency that was declared on Tuesday remains in place, as does a campfire ban, and an evacuation alert placed for around 200 homes in the Brackendale, Tantalus Road, and Skyridge areas east of Highway 99. The fire, believed to be human-caused, broke out Monday afternoon on the grassy hillside between Dowas Drive and Depot Road. Within just a few hours it had spread to cover five hectares of land, and had grown to 20.2 hectares in size by Wednesday morning.
