As wildfire season is coming into full swing, one B.C. town has declared a state of emergency. Locals are preparing to evacuate as the fires begin to encroach on territory they’ve never burned on before.
WILDFIRE SEASON
B.C.’s most powerful wildfires tend to remain inland, but more and more nontraditional wildfire areas are lighting ablaze this season as Squamish, B.C. residents are readying to leave. The town is only an hour’s drive away from Vancouver, 64 kilometres north of the city.
As of 6:00am, BC Wildfire Service has said that the Dryden Creek wildfire has reached over 14 hectares and is out of control. An 8:00am update noted that the fire has remained around the same size, but remains uncontrollable.
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There are two attack crews consisting of three to four people each that are fighting the wildfire, as well as 20 firefighters part of a one unit crew. Four helicopters and one air tanker are also responding to the Dryden Creek wildfire, says BC Wildfire Service.
The wildfire was spotted just north of Squamish on Monday afternoon and has since ballooned in size. Smoky skies now coat the entire area, leaving many residents concerned as the fire grows closer.
EVACUATION
The Dryden Creek wildfire continues to burn east of Highway 99 in the Skyridge area, between Dowad Drive and Depot Road, and is now confirmed to be human-caused. RCMP have launched an investigation and are asking anyone who was on the bike trails near Tantalus Road around 4 p.m. on June 9 to come forward with information.
An evacuation alert remains in place for approximately 200 properties in Brackendale, spanning from Depot Road (east of Highway 99) through Tantalus Road and into the Thunderbird Creek neighbourhood. Residents in this zone should have go-bags packed and be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
While winds are expected to increase in the afternoons, potentially pushing flames toward residential areas, there’s also a slight chance of showers forecast for Thursday and Friday. However, fire crews caution that any precipitation will likely be minimal and not enough to significantly slow the blaze.
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