Firefighters urge hikers to stay out of trails near Squamish, B.C., wildfire

Firefighters are urging hikers and mountain bikers not to enter trails closed due to a wildfire just north of Squamish, B.C., ahead of the Canada Day long weekend.

The Dryden Creek wildfire, which was discovered on June 9, is considered under control by the B.C. Wildfire Service, but a local state of emergency remains in Squamish.

Fire suppression work is ongoing in the area, and evacuation orders and alerts remain due to the danger of trees falling and rocks rolling loose.

That means trails have been closed around the wildfire perimeter, including those west of Jack's Trail towards DeBeck's Hill in Alice Lake Provincial Park.

Portions of the popular Wonderland and Rigs In Zen trails in Squamish have also been closed due to the wildfire, and a campfire ban remains in effect for the district.

Despite that, firefighters say they're seeing people disobey trail closures, which could prove to be a risky decision.

"Especially last weekend, numerous hikers and mountain bikers accessed trails that were closed," said B.C. Wildfire fire information officer Jennifer Lohmeyer on Tuesday.

"Some people even moved barriers that had been put in place to indicate that the trail was closed," she added.

Lohmeyer said that, even though the Dryden Creek wildfire is considered under control, firefighting crews remain in the area performing high-risk activities.

"It is a public safety issue because there are potential for fire-weakened trees to fall," the fire information officer said. 

"There are rocks in the area that are no longer being held in place by tree roots, so they could roll downhill, and there are a lot of steep slopes in the area."

As of Tuesday night, the Dryden Creek wildfire covered an area of just under 60 hectares, in close proximity to a number of hiking trails.

It is suspected to have been caused by human activity, with RCMP investigating how it started.

Lohmeyer is reminding the public to respect fire prohibitions and be on the lookout for wildfires this long weekend, and to report any they see using the wildfire service app.

"Natural resource officers and B.C. Parks staff will be providing support to ensure the [trail] closures for public safety and to prevent interference with firefighting," Lohmeyer said.