Out-of-control wildfire sparked over the weekend near Squamish (PHOTOS)
A wildfire broke out near Squamish over the weekend, and it’s now burning out of control.
BC Wildfire Service has named the blaze the Shovelnose Creek fire, and it’s estimated to be 17 hectares in size (0.17 square kilometres).
The fire was discovered Saturday afternoon about 20 kilometres up the Squamish Valley Forest Service Road.
“This fire is burning in steep, rugged, challenging terrain,” the BC Wildfire Service said in a tweet. “Crews responded into the night and will be supported by helicopters during the day.”
#BCWildfire is continuing to respond to the Shovelnose Creek fire (V30293), located at the 20 km mark along Squamish River FSR, west of the communities #Squamish and #Pemberton. pic.twitter.com/jnsbgXrjmd
ā BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) May 14, 2023
Roger Diamond Lewis, a forestry worker and Squamish Nation member, saw the fire around 6 pm Saturday.
“I could see the fire was growing quickly,” he told Daily Hive. “The wind was picking up and carrying the fire up the mountainside.”
His first thought when seeing the flames? That it could have easily been prevented.
Wildfire service firefighters were already on scene at that time, and Lewis saw them pick up water from the Squamish River with a helicopter to dump it on the flames.
Roger Diamond Lewis/Facebook
Roger Diamond Lewis
The BC Wildfire Service says no homes or infrastructure are currently at risk. The fire is suspected to be human-caused, and the Wildfire Service advised those using forest services roads for recreation to use caution when doing any activity that could start a fire.
“Please avoid areas where there are active wildfires burning for the safety of yourself and first responders,” it said.