Small wildfire under control at Porteau Cove

A small wildfire is under control, but still considered active near the Porteau Road off-ramp.

The fire, which is at 0.2 hectares, started at about 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 22, according to Dorthe Jakobsen, fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre.

By 10 p.m. Saturday, it was being held back by firefighters.

Initially, firefighters from the Lions Bay Fire Rescue and Britannia Beach Volunteer Fire Department were deployed to fight the fire, which is located in rugged and steep terrain, according to Jakobsen.

A crew and an officer from the BC Wildfire Service were on hand later Saturday, and two wildfire crews were sent in on Sunday. There was also a helicopter bucketing the blaze on Sunday.

The fire was under control by 5 p.m. Sunday.

Rain Monday helped, and more rain is expected this week.

The fire is suspected to be human-caused.

Fire conditions throughout the Coastal Fire region, which includes the Sea to Sky, are currently looking positive, Jakobsen said.

“Things are looking pretty good, even in our traditionally tricky valleys, like the Fraser Valley, which can get quite dry and not see rain; Victoria can be quite dry, and the Pemberton area of course, and some parts of Sunshine Coast," she said, adding areas that haven't received rain so far this week, are anticipated to see rain in the next few days.

Our fire indicators are going down, at this point," she said. "Our humidity is going up and dryness is going down. Temperatures will be cool for the next couple of days."

But this rosy outlook doesn't mean residents can relax when it comes to being fire safe, said Jakobsen.

In the Coastal Fire region, last year on May 25, there had been 25 wildfires, and this year the region has had 47.

"Once we get a high ridge settling in, things can dry out pretty quick," Jakobsen said.

"Use best practices whenever dealing with open fire.”

If you spot a wildfire or dangerous behaviour with fire, report it immediately to the BC Wildfire Service by calling 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on cellular networks.