A small wildfire broke out Saturday evening south of Alice Lake.
Squamish Fire Rescue responded to a small standing timber fire above the Rockridge subdivision at the end of Tantalus Road Saturday evening, according to a news release from the District of Squamish.
Smoke could be seen behind the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort throughout the evening, but no homes are currently threatened, according to the district.
BC Wildfire Management Branch was brought in though Squamish Fire Rescue remained on the scene in a supportive role, the release states.
RCMP and two District of Squamish trucks were blocking traffic from heading up Dowad Drive at Tantalus Road. A helicopter, seen at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday hovering over the area, was bucketing the head of the fire, according to the distrct.
"Cooling temperatures and a drop in wind is assisting with the response," the release states.
As of Sunday, firefighters from Squamish Fire Rescue and BC Wildfire were on the scene in the mop-up stage to extinguish or remove any burning or harazdous material. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though it was not likely caused naturally.
The district is saying the fire should provide an alert to the community about fire safety.
“This small scare is a wake-up call for us all to be extremely careful as we recreate in our forests, as our thoughts go to the people of Fort McMurray and the extreme challenges they face,” Mayor Patricia Heintzman said in a news release. “One small spark can lead to catastrophic results. We thank the quick action of our local fire fighters and the coordinated effort of the province, along with timely cooperation from the weather, that all worked together to effectively deal with this fire.”
Water tanks are set up on the trail blocking access and danger trees need to be assessed following the mop up stage. BC Wildfire Service will also conduct helicopter scans periodically over the next few days and cannot have members of the public in the area during those exercises.
The public is notified that Jack's Trail and surrounding trails are closed to the public until further notice while crews continue to work.
The Squamish Chief will continue to provide updates as this story develops.
(This story has been updated since it was first published.)
