UPDATE: 4 p.m., June 12
The Dryden Creek wildfire has grown to 59.5 hectares, according to the BC Wildfire map.
For comparison, Vancouver's Stanley Park is roughly 405 hectares. So this fire is at about 1/7th the size of Stanley Park.
It remains out of control.
The fire was discovered on the afternoon of June 9.
It is believed to be human-caused and RCMP are asking anyone with information on how it started to come forward.
The blaze is believed to have started around 4 p.m. on a bike trail at the end of Tantalus Road.
If you have information, contact Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100.
The current Air Quality Health Index is at 3, or low risk.
To see the direction of the wildfire smoke, go to Firesmoke.ca.
Cultural sites
Squamish Nation posted an update to its members saying that its representatives were invited by the BC Wildfire Service to tour the area of the wildfire by helicopter yesterday.
"Two Nation representatives were able to take time identifying, from the air, important Squamish Nation sites that may be at risk from the Dryden Creek Fire. Squamish People have always been stewards of our lands and waters, and this was an important moment to identify Siiyamiin (cultural sites), Community parcels and wildlife focus areas. It reflects our values of Wenáxws and Úxwumixw—respect and good relations with our lands," the post reads.
UPDATE: 1:30 p.m., June 12
No news is better than bad news.
The Dryden Creek wildfire remains at 54 hectares in size, and there was minimal growth overnight, according to the District of Squamish.
Resources on the fire
BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has multiple crews on site.
Squamish Fire Rescue and Whistler Fire Rescue crews remain on site and will continue nightly tactical patrols, according to the District.
According to the BCWS site, they currently have 50 wildfire fighters responding to this blaze.
In terms of aircraft, there are currently five helicopters responding to this wildfire.
One piece of heavy equipment is responding to this wildfire.
BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) also has Structure Protection Specialists (SPS) on this fire.
These are firefighers who are deployed when wildfires may impact or threaten a community.
"Structure Protection Specialists have the training and experience to manage the necessary equipment and specially trained personnel to protect and defend properties threatened by wildfire through various measures," according to the BCWS
Evacuation alerts/order
The evacuation alert remains in place for properties on Depot Road east of Highway 99 to Tantalus Road (North of Dowad and Thunderbird Creek).
An alert means the properties impacted should be ready to leave, but does not mean they must leave.
The Alice Lake evacuation order called last night remains in effect for June 12.
"In the interest of public safety, the park is closed. All visitors must evacuate the park immediately and remain out of the area until further notice," the post to the provincial park's website states.
Squamish Nation members
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) says it is continuing to work with the District of Squamish Emergency Operations Centre and other agencies battling the wildfire.
"The Nation is in direct contact with fire personnel and has identified important cultural sites and areas at risk near the fire," reads a Nation post to its website.
Due to the Alice Lake Park evacuation, though the park isn't under imminent threat, the Nation has removed valuable items from its Alice Lake longhouse, which is located above the south end of the lake.
The campfire ban applies to local reserves.
"Squamish Nation staff continue to work in community, as well as respond to Elders and those with health concerns impacted by the poor air quality," the post reads. "Our Safety Department is reaching out to Community and ready with 24-hour support. The contact is 604-374-2687, or email: [email protected]."
Driving
A 70 km/hr speed zone is in effect on Highway 99 with single-lane northbound traffic between Garibaldi Way and Depot Road.
District bylaw staff continue to monitor the Highway 99 and Depot Road area.
Support
For those looking to offer support to local first responders are asked to contact the District’s [email protected]
UPDATE: 7:40 a.m., June 12
Squamish RCMP is asking anyone with information on the cause of the Dryden Creek wildfire to come forward to help in the officers’ investigation.
Mounties say on June 9 at about 5:30 p.m., Squamish RCMP and Squamish Fire Rescue were notified of smoke on the hillside at the end of Tantalus Road.
Due to dry conditions, the fire spread rapidly and continues to burn, RCMP said in a news release.
As of June 12, the fire is at 54 hectares in size, and out of control.
Local police are working closely with BC Wildfire Service and Squamish Fire Rescue.
The fire is believed to have started around 4 p.m. on a bike trail at the end of Tantalus Road, the release said.
Based on initial information, investigators suspect the fire was human-caused; however, the exact source and circumstances are unknown at this time.
“We believe there were individuals on the trail around the time the fire started who may have information,” said Staff Sgt. Gareth Bradley of the Squamish RCMP, in the release.
"We encourage anyone who was out walking or hiking in the area to contact police, even if they think what they saw isn’t important. Sometimes the smallest detail can make a big difference," Bradley added.
Contact Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100.
UPDATE: 6:30 a.m., June 12
As of this hour, there is no change in the status of the Dryden Creek wildfire.
It remains at 54 hectares in size, and out of control.
It was discovered on the afternoon of June 9, and is believed to be human-caused.
A local state of emergency remains in effect, which allows the District of Squamish to exercise its full emergency response powers in the face of the wildfire.
Evacuation status
The evacuation alert remains in place for properties on Depot Road east of Highway 99 to Tantalus Road (North of Dowad and Thunderbird Creek).
An alert means the properties impacted should be ready to leave, but does not mean they must leave.
The Alice Lake evacuation order remains in effect this hour.
Due to the direction of the wildfire last night, the order was issued for all visitors to evacuate the park immediately and remain out of the area until further notice.
Air quality
An Environment Canada air-quality statement remains in effect for the Squamish region, due to the wildfire smoke.
“As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events,” reads the statement.
Driving
On the Sea to Sky highway northbound, between Garibaldi Way and Depot Road for 1.4 km, the right lane is closed.
The lane is being used to draw water to fight the fire.
Due to the fire, smoke may reduce visibility in the region. Drive with caution.
Weather today
Squamish meteorologist Jason Ross says a weak system will move into the south coast today through Friday, bringing mostly cloudy conditions, cooler temperatures, and a chance of showers.
The wind will be blowing from the southwest at 20 km/h, with gusts of 40 km/h at times.
A weak ridge of high pressure will rebuild this weekend, resulting in warmer temperatures. No significant rain is expected for the next several days.
A ban on campfires or any open fire remains in place in Squamish and Whistler.
The District of Squamish has asked locals to conserve water as best they can, as it is needed for firefighting efforts.
Current provincial wildfire status
Currently, there are 98 active wildfires in the province, including the Squamish fire.
Of those, 12 started in the last 24 hours.
So far this wildfire season, there have been 362 wildfires, burning 575,313 hectares of land.
More to come…
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UPDATE: 7:20 p.m., June 11
Anyone in or around Alice Lake Provincial Park is being told to leave immediately.
The park is under evacuation order due to the nearby wildfire.
"In the interest of public safety, all visitors should evacuate the park immediately and remain out of the area until further notice," reads the order posted to the park's government site.
The Dryden Creek wildfire has grown to 54 hectares, as of this evening, according to the BC Wildfire Service map.
The fire was discovered on the afternoon of June 9.
It is believed to be human-caused.
The wildfire remains classified as "out of control."
This means, "it is spreading or it is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter, or control line."
The District of Squamish acknowledged that there is more smoke visible tonight.
A post to the muni's social media states that daytime winds have contributed to increased fire behaviour.
A DriveBC alert notes that there is reduced visibility along the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish to Whistler due to the wildfire smoke.
Exercise extreme caution and reduce your speed.
This wildfire continues to move to the north.
"Existing containment lines on the southern flank are not currently threatened."
The wildfire will continue to be attacked from the ground and air tonight.
The flight tracker, Flightradar24, shows air tankers en route to Squamish this hour.
The evacuation alert remains in effect for hundreds of properties at the east end of Depot Road, east of Highway 99 including the Depot Road campground, and properties at the end of Tantalus Road, properties along Tantalus Road north of Dowad Drive, and the Skyridge subdivision.
So far, no homes have been evacuated.
UPDATE: 5 p.m.
Squamish Fire Rescue reports that the BC Wildfire Service has increased their onsite crew to 50 personnel working to douse the Dryden Creek wildfire.
There are 20 Squamish Fire Rescue crew members fighting the fire, with additional support from a crew of four Whistler Fire Rescue members.
The local fire department says fire fighting efforts will likely continue for weeks.
"Thank you for your patience, co-operation and support for all those working hard to keep our community safe," reads a post to Squamish Fire Rescue's social media.
In terms of the popular Alice Lake recreation site, the provincial park remains open, though the south beach parking lot is currently closed for wildfire operations, according to the District.
More to come...
UPDATE: 2:30 p.m., June 11
Squamish RCMP have closed the trails leading into the Dryden Creek wildfire area, the District of Squamish announced Wednesday afternoon.
The trail heads have been taped off, and the public is asked to avoid these trails.
The closure applies to all users, including hikers, mountain bikers and climbers.
“We continue to urge the public to stay clear of the area so as not to interfere with fire suppression efforts,” reads a social media post from the municipality.
UPDATE: 12:45 p.m. June 11
The Dryden Creek wildfire has now moved closer to nearby homes at the north end of Squamish.
District of Squamish Fire Chief Aaron Foote confirmed on Wednesday the fire came within 40 metres of properties, but he added these properties are not at risk.
“Overnight we have seen some occasions when trees would fall, they are probably 40 metres from homes, we do have a sprinkler protection line running throughout the east flank of the properties protecting those homes,” he said.
Fire crews were on scene to extinguish those small fires.
“We’ve been applying sprinkler systems throughout the past few days,” said Foote. “Currently, (the properties) are not at risk."
There are, however, a lot of dangerous trees in the area.
“The BC Wildfire Service does have danger tree assessors and fallers in the area, and they are actively working at removing danger trees,” said Foote.
Residents told The Squamish Chief they could hear chainsaws running throughout the morning.
“The objective today is to continue with the aerial assault on the fire,” Foote said. “We are protecting the communication towers at the top of Debeck's Hill and the other objective is still with the structure protection.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the fire was travelling from the south towards the north away from properties.
The area the fire is moving towards, however, could create new challenges as it is burning in steep, inaccessible cliffs.
BC Wildfire Service officer Marc Simpson said the response could last several weeks due to falling debris.
“Very much the terrain is a concern, every new area needs to be accessed for every type of safety concern,” he said.
Crews are expecting more winds on Wednesday.
“We are going to see a little stronger winds than we did see yesterday, possibly gusting up to 40 kilometres an hour,” said Simpson.
Firefighters are actively working on three flanks of the fire all day.
“We are always concerned when we have fire in close proximity to homes, that’s why we have an evacuation alert,” said Simpson. “We also have a lot of expert firefighters working on this fire.”
He said the BC Wildfire Service is in a “good place” to protect those homes right now.
Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said roughly 200 properties are on evacuation alert as of Wednesday morning.
Highway 99 remains open at this time but is reduced to one lane northbound.
“It is obviously in close proximity to the fire and that could change but I don’t think that’s anticipated,” says Hurford.
The fire is believed to be human-caused and is under investigation by the RCMP, but Hurford said they don’t believe it was started by a campfire.
Fire investigation
Sea to Sky Squamish RCMP Staff Sgt. Gareth Bradley said police are working on the cause and origin of the fire.
"We did hear some stories about people being on the trail, and at this point, nobody has come forward to discuss that with us,” said Bradley.
Police are asking people who witnessed anything that could be vital information to come forward.
Sacred sites near wildfire
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) council member and spokesperson Sxwixwtn Wilson Williams said the collaboration and work on the fire has been very empowering.
"My hands go up to our emergency services team of the Nation ... our land and water guardians and our people, for holding each other up at such a challenging time,” said Williams.
"We have a knowledge keeper today going up in one of the helicopters to identify some of our ... cultural sacred sites.”
He explained how there are a few sacred sites up along the mountain ridge.
"It's a priority of the Nation to make sure we protect it as much as we can,” said Williams. "There's a lot of spiritual and historical connection to our people there.”
Williams added it takes a community to come together.
“Our hands go up to everyone ... (to) empower (them) with strength and courage to continue the fight and just pray for mother nature to take its course and shed those tears for the fire to dissolve,” he said.
Personal impact
Long-time local Shannon Cooley lives near the fire and has been watching it since it started on Monday.
Cinders from the blaze have fallen on her deck umbrella.
Living in her family home and being the eldest daughter, she has become the repository of family lore, including numerous photos.
She has packed up these and some other necessities just in case.
“I have a whole bunch of heirloom-type material in the family home right now, and so it feels like a responsibility,” she said.
“I packed pictures and some of the ... heirloom type jewelry, and then clothing and the usual.”
This crisis puts into sharp focus what matters and what doesn’t, she noted.
“Everything else can be replaced.”
She said that the people on her street are helping each other out with how to handle the situation.
“A gal just up the road said, ‘Hey, put a tank of gas, gas into your tank, make sure you’re topped up, just in case you have to leave quickly,’” Cooley said.
UPDATE: 10 a.m., June 11
A wildfire burning close to homes in Squamish saw minimal growth overnight.
The District of Squamish shared the update on Wednesday morning just before 10 a.m.
"We are happy to report that there was minimal growth overnight. Winds are blowing south/southwest which works in our favour,” states a spokesperson.
BC Wildfire Service says the fire is estimated at 20.2 hectares in size on Wednesday.
The District anticipates that the size will be updated throughout the day as visibility increases and more accurate perimeter data can be collected.
A total of 32 BC Wildfire Service personnel are on site focusing on containment and structural and critical infrastructure protection. Squamish Fire Rescue has 23 crew members on the fire. Three tree fallers are also responding to the fire.
Five rotary-wing aircraft are bucketing water on the fire.Whistler Fire Rescue is assisting Squamish Fire Rescue crews to help build structural protection systems.
Howe Sound is being impacted by wildfire smoke and an Air Quality Warning has been issued on June 11.
"During a wildfire, smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour," states the warning.
People can limit their time outdoors and consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.
The District says a FireSmart educator is going door-to-door to support area residents with fire-smart tips on Wednesday.
A municipal campfire ban has been implemented by the District of Squamish and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). A state of local emergency remains in effect.
"We wish to express our continued thanks to all those working to fight the fire and keep residents safe, and for the ongoing community gratitude and support,” says a spokesperson.
Updates on fire are expected throughout the day.
What residents can do to help:
- Be mindful of signage and personnel working in the area
- Check-in on your family, friends and neighbours
- Subscribe to Squamish Alert at squamish.ca/alert
- Stay tuned to squamish.ca for the latest
ORIGINAL: 9:30 a.m., June 11
Firefighters and pilots are expected to continue battling an out-of-control wildfire burning in the north end of Squamish for the third day on Wednesday.
The Dryden Creek Wildfire is estimated at 14.4 hectares in size.
Residents woke up to heavy smoke blanketing Squamish.
Tessa Paraskeva who is on evacuation alert said they woke up to "super smoky skies" and they couldn’t see much.
“The wind has definitely died down,” she says.
A Brackendale resident tells The Squamish Chief they did hear one helicopter working on the fire on Wednesday morning.
"I heard one helicopter but it's been strangely quiet this morning,” says Brad Hodge. “I'm wondering if they've gone further north or if the smoke is making it dangerous.”
Two initial attack crews and one unit crew are responding to the wildfire that is burning in highly technical and difficult terrain.
Four helicopters are expected to be working on the fire today along with one air tanker.
On Tuesday, the fire tripled in size and grew away from the community along a west-facing cliff.
Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Aaron Foote and Mayor Armand Hurford are expected to provide an update on the firefight at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
This story will be updated with more details after the press conference.
An evacuation alert remains in place for properties at the east end of Depot Road, east of Highway 99 including the Depot Road campground, and properties at the end of Tantalus Road, properties along Tantalus Road north of Dowad Drive, and the Skyridge subdivision.
There are no evacuation orders in place.
Residents are asked to avoid the area around the fire entirely, this includes hiking, mountain biking and flying drones.
The District of Squamish has asked locals to conserve water for use in fighting the fire.
