Latest news with #DrydenCreek
CTV News
16-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Weekend rain, cooler conditions allow crews to make progress on B.C. wildfires
A helicopter works on the Dryden Creek wildfire north of Squamish, B.C., on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin 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 The District of Squamish Emergency Operations Centre along with Squamish Fire Rescue have rescinded most evacuation alerts, though one remains in effect for properties on Dryden Road east.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. 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. 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.' 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.' This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 16, 2025.
CTV News
15-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfire near Squamish being held, no longer burning out of control
Smoke from the Dryden Creek Wildfire, is shown just north of Squamish, B.C., Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin 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, is now classified as being held after help from cool, cloudy weather. The BC Wildfire Service announced the fire was being held, meaning the fire is expected to remain within its current perimeter based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, on Saturday afternoon. The District of Squamish says the Dryden Creek wildfire has held steady at 0.6 square kilometres in size since Friday. 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. Many nearby properties are still under an evacuation alert, the district says those evacuation alerts will be re-evaluated on Sunday. The district is warning visitors to be mindful of the emergency response effort underway and stay away from closed trails to prevent straining 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. This report by Nono Shen, The Canadian Press, was first published June 14, 2025.
CTV News
14-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Helicopter video shows Squamish wildfire impact from above
The District of Squamish shared this aerial tour of the Dryden Creek wildfire Friday night. The District of Squamish has shared new video of the Dryden Creek wildfire that broke out Monday, prompting a local state of emergency, evacuation alerts and anxious days for residents of the community. The helicopter tour of the fire area, which the district posted on social media Friday night, shows minimal smoke and fire activity along the steep ridge where the blaze has been burning. In the video, clusters of red trees can be seen where aerial crews dropped fire retardant, while swaths of grey and brown show areas that were burned in the fire. As of Saturday morning, the BC Wildfire Service still classified the fire as 'out of control,' but crews said Friday that they expected to be able to update that status to 'being held' sometime over the weekend. In its most recent update, the district said the fire remained 59.5 hectares in size and 'cool, cloudy conditions' were supporting less intense fire behaviour. A total of 65 BCWS firefighters, five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment were responding to the blaze Saturday. 'The fire will remain visible, especially at night, as it consumes unburned fuel,' the district's update reads. 'This activity is expected and does not necessarily indicate fire growth or pose a cause for concern.'
CTV News
14-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Helicopter video shows Squamish, B.C. wildfire
Vancouver Watch The District of Squamish shared this aerial tour of the Dryden Creek wildfire Friday night.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Squamish, B.C., reports progress in fire fight, as northeast hopes for rain
Smoke from the Dryden Creek Wildfire, is shown just north of Squamish, B.C., Wednesday, June 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin There's optimism from firefighters and local authorities as crews battle blazes in opposite corners of British Columbia heading into the weekend. The District of Squamish is reporting minimal overnight growth in the Dryden Creek fire that triggered a local state of emergency this week, while the BC Wildfire Service expects rain to help suppress the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire in the northeast. That fire 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. BC Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci says 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. The fire looming over Squamish, north of Vancouver, has grown to nearly 60 hectares in size, with the district reporting that crews made 'strong progress' on the southwestern flanks, while aviation crews focused on bucketing the northern edge. The district says in a posting to social media late Thursday that the fire spread on the northern side from 'steep, inoperable terrain into more accessible areas, allowing crews to engage more directly in suppression efforts.' The Squamish fire is among 100 blazes actively burning across the province. There are three wildfires of note, the Pocket Knife Creek, the Kiskatinaw River fire and the Summit Lake fire, all in the northeast where most of the province's fire activity is concentrated. This report by Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press, was first published June 13, 2025.
