Squamish Valley wildfire now 15 hectares, believed to be human-caused
Posted April 2, 2019 6:41 am.
Last Updated April 2, 2019 11:37 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A fire in the Squamish Valley has grown from 3.5 to 15 hectares since crews arrived to battle the blaze Monday afternoon, according to the BC Wildfire Service website.
It’s believed to have been human-caused, related to backyard debris burn about 17.5 kilometres up the Squamish Valley Road.
Twenty-two firefighters, an officer and a helicopter continue to battle the fire which is located on a steep slope with moss and spruce trees, making it difficult for crews to work, explains Dorothy Jacobson with the Coastal Fire Centre.
B.C. Wildfire Service’s chief information officer Kevin Skrepnik says there have been about 30 grass fires in recent weeks, all of them suspected to be caused by humans.
“Sometimes folks will look at the calendar and not realize that the threat is there,” he says. “We definitely want people to be vigilant out there despite the time of year just given that we’ve seen that there are definitely conditions for things to take-off.”
This March was one of the driest on record, leaving the ground, grass and trees parched.
“That definitely speaks to why we’ve seen some of these fires pop up and quite frankly as well, some of the sizes we’ve seen these fires reach as well,” says Skrepnik.
Rain is forecast for late Tuesday, with crews saying they expect to have the fire mostly out by the evening.
Officials say no structures are being threatened and while to Squamish Valley Road remains open, all non-essential travel should be avoided as crews continue to fight the fire.
