Latest news with #B.C.WildfireService
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
‘Public safety issue': Hikers, bikers barging onto closed trails near Squamish wildfire
A road barrier is seen in Squamish, B.C., as crews battle the Dryden Creek wildfire. The B.C. Wildfire Service is sounding the alarm about outdoor enthusiasts disregarding trail closures near the Dryden Creek blaze burning outside Squamish. Officials posted a public notice over the weekend urging hikers and mountain bikers to 'please abide' by the closures – both for their own safety and to avoid interfering with firefighting operations. 'There's the potential for fire-weakened trees to fall, and rocks that are no longer being held by tree roots rolling downhill,' said Jennifer Lohmeyer, fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre. Crews are also using the closed trails – which are considered worksites – and that could lead to 'public and responder conflicts' if people disregard posted signage telling them to keep away, Lohmeyer added. 'For example, mountain bikers travelling at high speed could collide with responders on the trail,' she said. Firefighters Firefighters are seen during Coastal First Nations Wildland Firefighter Boot Camp in spring 2024. (B.C. Wildfire Service) Officials acknowledged it is a 'challenging situation' given there are sometimes numerous access points to the trails, and crews are still working to get signage up at each one – but in many cases, hikers and mountain bikers are barging onto the trails on purpose. 'People even moved barriers that were put in place to indicate that the trail was closed,' Lohmeyer said. Firefighters have also had to waste valuable time turning scofflaws around, and in some cases have been forced to change tactics – such as delaying the felling of hazardous trees because members of the public might be nearby. Closed trails included those west of Jack's Trail toward Debecks Hill, according to a notice posted by the District of Squamish on Monday. Lohmeyer urged hikers and mountain bikers to check the Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. website for the most up-to-date information on closures before heading out during wildfire season. 'You never know if a new trail is going to be closed,' she said. 'If it is safe, we will open up the trails as we can.' The Dryden Creek wildfire was discovered on June 9, and spread to an estimated 59 hectares. The B.C. Wildfire Service has classified the blaze as under control, meaning it is not projected to spread beyond its current perimeter.
Vancouver Sun
17-06-2025
- Climate
- Vancouver Sun
Evacuation order issued for two properties near Squamish wildfire
An evacuation order has been issued for two properties near a wildfire in Squamish. The B.C. Wildfire Service has classified the Dryden Creek wildfire as being held and said it expects the fire to remain within its current boundaries. However, the District of Squamish issued an evacuation order for two properties located east of the fire Monday afternoon because of the risk posed by trees and rockfall. The order covered 1796 Depot Road and Block D section 23 Township 50 and took effect Monday at 3 p.m. The District of Squamish has issued an #Evacuation Order for 2 properties east of Dryden Creek, due to physical hazards related to #BCWildfire . Anyone in the affected area must leave NOW. More info, addresses & map: @Squamishtown An evacuation alert remains in place for 4000 Highway 99 and properties in the 1700-block Depot Road. An alert issued last week for properties on Tantalus Road north of Dowad Drive and the Skyridge subdivision was rescinded Sunday. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The fire, which was suspected to be human-caused, started on June 9 and has prompted a police investigation and an appeal for information from Squamish RCMP. B.C. Parks said Alice Lake provincial park will reopen Tuesday with restrictions. The south beach area remains closed to vehicles, but open for hikers and bikers. Some trails are also expected to reopen on Tuesday. The Squamish wildfire is one of 96 blazes burning throughout B.C., most of which are in the province's northeast, where 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 says new orders or alerts may be issued if the situation changes. chchan@ With a file from Canadian Press
The Province
14-06-2025
- Climate
- The Province
Wildfire menacing Squamish appears to stabilize amid cooler conditions
B.C. Wildfire Service anticipates reclassifying the blaze as being held in the coming days. Published Jun 14, 2025 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 1 minute read The Dryden Creek fire broke out June 10 east of Highway 99 between Dowad Drive and Depot Road and grew from about half a hectare to five hectares by late Monday. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Officials say a wildfire near Squamish, 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The District of Squamish says the Dryden Creek wildfire has held steady at 0.6 square kilometres in size since Friday. It says the B.C. Wildfire Service anticipates reclassifying the blaze as being held in the coming days. The district says 65 B.C. wild land 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. 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 B.C. 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. Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Sports Soccer Sports
Vancouver Sun
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Vancouver Sun
Squamish is open for business, but wants visitors to act responsibly
Squamish is open for business and to visitors, said officials, even as firefighters continue to battle a wildfire on the steep cliffside north of town. On Friday, the B.C. Wildfire Service said the out-of-control Dryden Creek wildfire — currently mapped at 60 hectares — is expected to be declared 'held' in the next couple of days, thanks to favourable weather conditions and the work of fire crews. But for most Squamish residents life has gone on as normal since the fire erupted east of Highway 99 in a north section of town Monday, triggering a local state of emergency and evacuation alerts for about 200 properties. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It has been a strange juxtaposition dealing with a fire response but the buses are running on time and kids are taking swimming lessons and there's a lineup at the café,' said Mayor Armand Hurford. Squamish, located on the Sea to Sky Highway about halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, used to be a pit stop for visitors making their way to Whistler's ski slopes. The municipality has become a tourist destination in its own right, drawing outdoor enthusiasts including hikers, mountain bikers, windsurfers and rock climbers. Squamish typically sees an influx of traffic and visitors over the weekend, said Hurford, and while the town isn't asking people to stay away, it isn't ready to invite people to come flocking either. He's heard of people wanting to return to closed trails, but said it was not safe to 'push the limits.' 'We want visitors to be mindful of the extensive emergency response that's underway.' Lesley Weekes, executive director of Tourism Squamish, said the tourism bureau has heard anecdotally about visitors concerned about the wildfire, but said that overall, the town is open to tourism. 'We encourage people to keep their plans if they are visiting areas of Squamish that are not affected by the Dryden Creek Wildfire,' said Weekes in an email, noting most businesses are open. 'That said, visitors should stay informed, follow any closures or advisories, and be prepared to recreate responsibly. This helps reduce pressure on emergency services.' At the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort, it's business as usual, said front desk manager Darsham Desai. He said his team has had to field some calls from guests uncertain whether they should make the trip or not. 'I tell them, it's good to come,' said Desai. 'Our location is not affected and we're operating as normal.' Further up the highway in Whistler, Mayor Jack Crompton said his municipality feels a sense of solidarity with Squamish, but has not been directly affected by the wildfire. 'Bus service continues to operate, all local events are continuing, people are continuing to visit Whistler, and it seems busy in the village,' he said. The two municipalities have close ties, he noted, and members of the Whistler Fire Rescue Service are lending a hand to their Squamish counterparts to fight the blaze. Crompton's office encouraged visitors to Whistler to sign up for its emergency notification system, which sends phone or email alerts in case the situation changes. Tourism Squamish said the air quality in most areas of Squamish is good and is monitored by Vancouver Coastal Health. Highway 99 is open but drivers are asked to reduce their speed near the fire zone. Alice Lake provincial park is closed with trail closures in place. Visitors are encouraged to check Drive B.C. for travel updates, respect fire bans and follow local signage and avoid fire-affected areas. Hurford said winds are fanning the wildfire northward, away from homes and onto terrain crews can access from the ground. He's hopeful firefighters have turned a corner in the wildfire battle. 'At this point, it does feel like we're gaining the upper hand,' he said, adding that while the fire remains an 'active situation,' Squamish was never in danger of a 'Lytton-like event,' referring to the catastrophic wildfire that razed the Fraser Canyon town in June 2021. 'The risk is very real for those folks (within the evacuation alert zone), but the community more broadly is not under threat from this fire.' chchan@ With files from The Canadian Press
Vancouver Sun
13-06-2025
- Climate
- Vancouver Sun
Squamish reports progress in fire fight, as northeast B.C. hopes for rain
A fire that has been burning out of control as it threatened Squamish this week is expected to be declared 'held' in the next couple days, a spokesman with the B.C. Wildfire Service said Friday. Rory Baldwin told a news briefing that crews expected good progress this weekend thanks to favourable weather, while Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said rain on Thursday night had prompted celebrations on the streets. The blaze — 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. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. '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. The Squamish Fire Rescue chief, Aaron Foote, told the briefing that extra groundcrews 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 drop water on 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 B.C. 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 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 B.C. 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.
