Two fires that were sparked last long weekend are now out, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
The Fries Creek fire was discovered burning within 200 metres of Tantalus Provincial Park on Sunday.
By Tuesday morning, the BC Wildfire Service declared it was out.
Local Lauren Watson emailed The Squamish Chief about discovering the fire and reaching out to the wildfire service.
“We came over a hill and there were some flames but mostly a lot of smoke with one tree pretty destroyed with flames at the base and another one starting to smoulder at the roots,” she said.
Watson said she and her partner found some buckets and began running water back and forth from a small nearby lake.
“We realized pretty quickly it was bigger than we knew what to do with,” she said.
From there, she said she called 911 which eventually connected her with the wildfire service. However, due to spotty reception, they had to call back a few times. They kept pouring water on the fire and also dug a perimeter and removed fuel for the fire.
Watson said they did this for several hours before the wildfire service arrived.
Watson said she learned a lot of lessons throughout the incident.
“I had no idea how easy it was for fires to spread and how hard they are to stop,” she said.
The second wildfire this week on the Cheekye Forest Service Road, was declared out on the BC Wildfire Dashboard on Thursday.
It was discovered Monday. Tuesday morning, BC Wildfire Service said it was 0.15 hectares in size.
Both fires were believed to be human caused. The campfire ban for the Coastal Fire Centre region, which includes Squamish, was lifted on Sept. 20.
The BC Wildfire Service urges people to take the following precautions when having a campfire:
- Ensure enough water (8 litres) and tools are on hand to control the fire and stop it from escaping.
- Do not burn in windy conditions.
- Create a fuel-free site around by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible material.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
- Make sure that the fire is fully extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.
There are currently 180 wildfires burning in B.C.; 10 of those were sparked in the last two days.
To report a wildfire, call: 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell.
We are updating this story as new information becomes available.
