Crews have gained the upper hand on a wildfire burning just outside Squamish, and say they expect the weather this week to further improve the situation.
The Dryden Creek wildfire is now classified as “being held,” meaning officials don’t believe it will grow beyond its perimeter given current conditions.
“BC Wildfire has reported that crews are making good progress and that all wildfire perimeters are being held, so that’s excellent news for us, no growth, we’re at 59.5 hectares,” Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said Monday.
With the improved conditions, Hurford said BC Parks is planning to reopen Alice Lake Provincial Park, with restrictions, on Tuesday. The park was evacuated as a precaution last week amid concerns the fire could cut off its main access road.
The progress in the firefight means evacuation alerts for homes closest to the blaze have been lifted with the exception of those along Dryden Road east.
However, an evacuation order has been issued for two properties near the fire zone — not because of flames, but because the fire has rendered the slope and dead trees above them unstable.
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The BC Wildfire Service is now the lead agency on the fire, and Squamish’s municipal fire rescue service is reducing its overnight staffing, added Squamish Fire Chief Aaron Foote.
Foote said temperatures are forecast to drop this week, with some rain possible by Wednesday.
There are currently 57 BC Wildfire Service members fighting the fire, along with four tree fallers.
Foote said the public should expect to see some hot spots continue to flare up during the daytime.
“That is expected, and it is in the area of containment; we are comfortable with that,” he said.
Meanwhile, rain in northern British Columbia allowed for the remaining evacuation alerts related to the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire, northwest of Fort. St. John, to be rescinded Monday.
The Peace River Regional District says new orders or alerts may be issued if the situation changes.
The wildfire service says flames are no longer visible from the Kiskatinaw River fire in the northeast corner of the province, after it was doused with more than 20 millimetres of rain over the weekend.
But BC Wildfire Service fire behaviour analyst Neal McLoughlin said in a video posted Sunday that it “doesn’t mean the fire isn’t active underground,” so crews remain on scene.
The blaze is still rated as out of control, and it is one of three wildfires of note in B.C.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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