Community Update #4: Current wildfires in the SLRD

News date
Applicable communities
All Areas

There are currently a number of wildfires burning within, or near the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD).

SLRD situational awareness:

  • Three fires in the SLRD are listed as ‘out of control’
  • There are no ‘Fires of Note’ in the SLRD
  • There are no SLRD values at risk
  • An Evacuation Alert has been issued by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) due to the Birkenhead Lake wildfire (V31836) burning out of control in the vicinity of Birkenhead Lake Estates and Blackwater Road.
  • BC Parks has closed Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park. Please visit bcparks.ca/active-advisories for more information on park-related impacts related to wildfires.

Wildfires listed as ‘out of control’:

Electoral Area C
Near Pemberton and Birken – Coastal Fire Centre

Birkenhead Lake (V31836): 558 hectares / out of control
As of Thursday, August 15, reported by BC Wildfire Services - Winds have resulted in increased fire behaviour on the Birkenhead Lake Fire (V81836).  Crews have noted intermittent rank 4 behaviour characterized by a highly vigorous surface fire with isolated torching influenced by heavy accumulated fuel loads. Crews were reassigned to indirect control lines due to safety concerns from this fire activity.  Aviation resources are being utilized to cool the eastern flanks and is showing good progress.  

Based on recommendations from the BC Wildfire Service, an Evacuation Alert has been issued by the SLRD for properties around Birkenhead Lake Estates and Blackwater Road.

Attention, residents in the Blackwater area: The SLRD FireSmart Team will be in the Blackwater area Sunday, August 18 starting at 10 a.m. to meet with community members currently on Evacuation Alert and to share guidance on how to you’re your properties FireSmart. To book a visit from one of our Wildfire Mitigation Specialists, please send an email to firesmart@slrd.bc.ca with Blackwater in the subject line or leave a voice mail at 604-384-7323.

Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park has been closed to the public. Please visit bcparks.ca/active-advisories for more information on park-related impacts related to wildfires. The public is asked to stay clear of the area and Birkenhead Lake.

Rutherford Creek (V31841): 62 hectares / out of control
As of Thursday, August 15, reported by BC Wildfire Services - The Rutherford Creek Fire (V31841) has seen good progress with water delivery established on the northeast flank. Heavy equipment is working on containment lines on the northwest flank.

Upper Elaho River (V32132): 246 hectares / out of control
As of Thursday, August 15, reported by BC Wildfire Services - The Upper Elaho River Fire (V32132) had two helicopters bucketing the north flank of the fire today and crew assessing workable objectives. Squamish Nation is collaborating on sharing information about cultural and ecologically sensitive areas.

Reminder: Evacuation Alerts and Orders are issued through the SLRD's Emergency Alert Notification System; sign up here to receive alerts by email, text, or phone.

The SLRD continues to monitor this dynamic and evolving situation, and is working closely with BC Wildfire Service to ensure we are up-to-date on the status of each fire. At the time of issuing this community update, there are currently no structures within the SLRD that are at risk due to these fires.

The following situational awareness update is from the BC Wildfire Services dashboard and is the most up-to-date information at this time. Please note that this information can change quickly; for updates and the latest information, please always check the BC Wildfire Service website.

Beginning today, most of the province will experience a downturn in weather conditions, bringing cooler temperatures and the risk of thunderstorms across the Central and Southern Interior. Warmer, drier conditions persist in the Okanagan and northwest corner of the province, with temperatures in the low to mid-30s. 

Despite the change in weather, fuels remain dry in many areas of the province due to consecutive days of warming and drying conditions. We ask everyone to be mindful of activities that could spark a new wildfire, as fuels remain susceptible to new ignitions.

A Category 1 (campfire) ban is currently in place in the SLRD. All forms of open burning are banned across the province. Learn about open fire prohibitions in your area. Please continue to observe all prohibitions and restrictions in your area and assist our response efforts by reporting columns of smoke via our BC Wildfire Service mobile app (and include photos please) or by phone to *5555 or 1-800-663-5555. We expect that some lighting strikes from the past week may have ignited fuels, but some fires have been slumbering until relative humidity in the area drops. New fire starts may show themselves over the coming days.   

For the most up-to-date information available about wildfires, refer to https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/dashboard. This public, interactive resource can be accessed through your desktop browser or the BC Wildfire Service mobile app on Apple or Android. Information on this site is collected directly from personnel in the field and is sent to Fire Centres. From there, information on location, size, perimeters, suspected cause, contact information, details about response, maps and images are updated regularly by BC Wildfire Service dispatchers and Information Officers. For more information on how to use the dashboard visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/about-bcws/appreferenceguide

For the current smoke forecast: visit: https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/

Emergency preparedness reminders:

  • Know the hazards – knowing what hazards you need to plan for is the first step 
    to being prepared.
  • Visit the FireSmartBC to learn how to make your property resilient to wildfire. The SLRD Wildfire Mitigation Team is on standby, ready to help. Book your Free FireSmart Assessment by email at firesmart@slrd.bc.ca or by phone at 604-384-7323.
  • Use the FireSmart checklist to make sure you are ready before or during an alert: https://firesmartcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/FSC_Wildfire-Evac…
  • Make an emergency plan for yourself, all members of your household and your pets.
  • Prepare your emergency supplies and build your kits:
  • Ensure you have supplies, including food, water and necessary medicines, for at least 72 hours.
  • Research insurance options and ensure your plan is up-to-date.
  • Evacuation routes: understand how you will leave the area.
  • Evacuation and recovery resources- Learn what happens in evacuations, what financial assistance you might be eligible for and other recovery resources.
  • Download resources for Farm & Ranch Wildfire Preparedness here. 

Stay Informed: In an emergency, misinformation is dangerous. Get your information from official sources, and make sure you have access:

Applicable service
Emergency Management
Notice type(s)
Emergency Notice