Squamish is relatively safe from forest fires for now, thanks to some recent cool, wet weather, but the danger is still quite high for both urban interface fires and forest fires within the area.
According to Squamish Fire Rescue, any homes or residential areas surrounded by trees, underbrush, and overly dry conditions are at the highest risk, and they are urging residents to take precautions.
"We urge people to resist backyard burns and try to be understanding that we'd rather prevent a fire than have to go out and deal with one that got away," said Deputy Fire Chief Steve Virgint.
"We're hoping that residents will clean up any debris and trim any hedges to two metres from the ground, so there is no danger of ladder fuels" - vegetation that enables a fire to climb up higher into trees and spread from tree to tree above the ground.
As a preventative measure, the B.C. Forest Service and the Squamish Fire Rescue have distributed hundreds of Fire Smart program manuals that instruct residents on how to prevent fires in high risk areas, such as the Upper Squamish Valley, where homes are surrounded by trees and forests.
Should a fire break out in the Squamish area, Fire Rescue is amply prepared to efficiently and effectively respond within minutes. On top of a full-time crew of five firefighters and two fire chiefs, there is also a Forestry B.C. three-man initial attack team ready to go at any time.
"We work very closely with forestry at this time of the year," said Virgint. "We work together if anything happens and are in close contact at all times. We want to make sure we have a quick and efficient response."
In June, dry conditions coupled with high winds whipped up more than 450 forest fires throughout the province, most of which were ignited by lightning. But thanks to cooler temperatures and some rain, that number has dropped to about 268 as of Monday (July 12), according to the B.C. Forest Service.
"The break in the weather was exactly what we needed," said Forest Service spokeswoman Nancy Argyle. "Cooler temperatures and more moisture have allowed us to get ahead significantly in all of those fires."
Argyle also credited the reduction in the number of fires to the hard work and effort of fire crews.Squamish's unique environment can be both a blessing and a curse as far as forest fires are concerned. On the positive side of things, the large amount of rainfall throughout the coastal region acts to moisten the forest floor and prevent fires for most of the year, except during a dry spell when rainfall is at an absolute minimum.
On the other hand, because there is such a large amount of undergrowth, a forest fire is supplied with an enormous amount of fuel to burn.
"It's a double-edged sword,' said Virgint. "Because we do get more rainfall things can stay quite wet but if a fire breaks out there is a lot of fuel."
On Monday (July 12), the campfire ban on Crown lands was lifted for the coastal region of B.C., but with hotter weather expected in the coming days, that could change soon.
"It all revolves around the weather,' said Virgint. "The forest fire rating right now is moderate but if it stays warm it could go back to high. Traditionally, August and September are the driest months in Squamish, we have to be very cautious."
Last year, due to an extreme forest fire rating, the government imposed a province-wide backcountry travel ban. Virgint said that this measure is once again possible if the weather becomes hotter and drier.
"Prevention is the key," he said. "It's all dependent on Mother Nature, but if there's a long drought we'll look closely at it."
