B.C. Wildfire Service expects Squamish fire held soon, as residents celebrate rain
Fire that started Monday triggered local state of emergency, deemed "out of control"
A fire that has been burning out of control and threatening the town of Squamish, B.C. is expected to be declared "held" in the next couple days, a spokesperson with the B.C. Wildfire Service said Friday.
Rory Baldwin said that crews expect good progress this weekend thanks to favourable weather, while District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said rain on Thursday night had prompted celebrations on the streets.
The blaze north of Vancouver — which triggered a local state of emergency and has been deemed "out of control" since it was discovered on Monday — has reached 60 hectares in size.
"It's been a long week," Hurford said during a news briefing on Friday.
The community, located halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, normally sees a lot of traffic and visitors over the weekend and is a destination for outdoor recreation.
Hurford said he'd heard of people wanting to return to closed trails, but said it was not safe to "push the limits."
"We want visitors to be mindful of the extensive emergency response that's underway," he said.
Squamish Fire Rescue chief Aaron Foote said that extra ground crews and another helicopter had arrived to help the fight. The district had said earlier on social media that a Black Hawk helicopter would be helping the aerial firefighting fleet.
Foote said there has been strong progress at the southern end of the fire and that heavy bucketing — in which helicopters drop large quantities of water or fire retardant — was underway in the north.
He also noted fire activity had "decreased substantially" thanks to an increase in humidity.
But he said burning trees had fallen overnight, some within about 40 metres of homes.
More than 200 properties, including multi-family dwellings, are under evacuation alert, he added.
Foote said there has been a "truly incredible" outpouring of support from the community for the local and B.C. Wildfire Service firefighters.
Baldwin said he expected the fire to be declared held "within the next operational period or the day after that."
Other wildfires in northeast
Meanwhile, there are three significant wildfires in B.C.'s northeast. That includes the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire, which is the biggest in the province at more than 1,500 square kilometres. Officials say it has grown significantly since merging with another fire on Sunday.
B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci said in an update on social media on Thursday that anticipated rain could help suppress the fires this weekend.
The two other wildfires of note are the Kiskatinaw River fire and the Summit Lake fire.
A situational report posted to the service website on Friday said rain is forecasted for most of northern B.C. this weekend, but expected to ease on Sunday. It warned of the possibility of slides caused by sudden rainfall on eroded areas.
The report noted a "warming trend" was expected to return to the province on Sunday, which could then stretch into next week and increase fire behaviour.