For more recent information on the wildfire read this story.
—Update 11:30 a.m. June 10—
The District of Squamish is declaring a state of emergency, due to the wildfire burning east of Highway 99 between Dowad Drive and Depot Road.
According to the District, this declaration allows the municipality to take immediate action that might not be possible otherwise, such as evacuating areas or controlling the use of property, "to prevent, respond to, or alleviate the effects of the emergency."
More to come...
—Update 9 a.m. June 10—
Squamish is blanketed in the haze of wildfire smoke this morning.
In response to the Dryden Creek fire, as this wildfire is called, Squamish Fire Rescue said in a post late Monday night that the District's emergency response team is working out of the Emergency Operations Centre, located at Fire Hall 1 in Valleycliffe.
The five-hectare out of control fire is located above the eastern end of Depot Road, in the north end of Squamish.
It said the BC Wildfire Service has "actively and aggressively" attacked the wildfire thus far by air and with ground crews, late into the night, and began again early this morning.
BCWS said as of Tuesday morning, there are two helicopters responding to this fire, in addition to the initial attack crew of three or four firefighters and a unit crew of 20 firefighters.
Late last night the District of Squamish issued evacuation alerts to those living in properties at the east end of Depot Road, east of Highway 99 including the campground Mountain Fun Basecamp, and at the end of Tantalus Road.
This means people were being asked to prepare to leave the area, not to actually leave.
This move came at the request of the BC Wildfire Service and out of "an abundance of caution," the District said in a post.
If an Evacuation Order is issued overnight, officials would go door to door to these properties to require individuals to evacuate," the District said.
The fire department also warned against folks using drones to get a look at the fire. There should be no drones deployed.
"Fire crews are advising that drones being deployed in the area have the potential to cause a significant issue for the aerial attack. Drones must not be flown anywhere near the vicinity," reads a post by the fire department.
Further, BC Wildfire crews say that some people are going onto the trails around the fire.
"Please stay away from the area to allow the crews to do their work," reads a Tuesday morning post from the District of Squamish.
—Update: 8:50 p.m. June 9—
Squamish's third wildfire of the season is at five hectares this evening, and remains out of control.
The blaze is just east of Highway 99 between Dowad Drive and Depot Road.
According to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), its crews are assisting the Squamish fire department with this wildfire, which is known as fire V30558 on the BC Wildfire Service map.
An attack crew is a three-or four-person team, which is typically the first to respond to a wildfire.
They can respond quickly using vehicles and aircraft and are strategically placed for the most impact, according to the BCWS.
"These crews are regularly placed on 'standby,' which means that they are ready to be deployed quickly after a new wildfire starts," the BCWS explains on its website.
A unit crew is a 20-person team deployed to conduct sustained firefighting
There are also two helicopters and one air tanker responding to this wildfire.
Squamish Fire Rescue posted to their social media that water-bucketing is underway.
The public is asked to keep their distance and drivers are warned against stopping along the highway to view the fire.
Already this season there has been two other wildfires.
The first wildfire of this season was discovered on April 27 in the Brohm Ridge area and was believed to be human-caused.
At its peak, it reached 4.6 hectares in size.
It was declared out on April 30.
The second fire of the season was on the Mamquam River Forest Service Road. At its peak, it reached four hectares.
It lasted from May 4 to 8, before being called out.
Both of these fires were also believed to be human-caused.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
—Original story—
Squamish Fire Rescue firefighters are working to put out a wildfire located just east of Highway 99 between Dowad Drive and Depot Road in the north of Squamish.
BC Wildfire Service has been contacted to assist, according to District of Squamish spokesperson Rachel Boguski.
The fire was sparked just before 4:30 p.m., June 9.
"We are asking motorists to avoid stopping on the highway to view the fire, as this poses other significant risks," Boguski said.
According to the BC Wildfire Service map, the fire is less than a hectare in size, but out of control.
This means that it is spreading or is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter, or control line.
This fire is suspected to be human-caused.
Currently, there are 85 active wildfires burning in B.C.; 12 started in the last 24 hours.
Since wildfire season began on April 1, there have been 336 fires reported across B.C., burning nearly 490,000 hectares so far.
Of the fires to date, 88 (26%) were caused by lightning; 236 (70%) were human-caused, and 12 have unknown causes.
More to come...
*Please note that this story is being updated as the situation changes.
