A fire that has been burning out of control as it threatened Squamish, B.C., this week is expected to be declared "held" in the next couple days, a spokesman with the BC Wildfire Service said Friday.
Rory Baldwin told a news briefing that crews expected good progress this weekend thanks to favourable weather, while District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said rain on Thursday night had prompted celebrations on the streets.
The blaze north of Vancouver — which triggered a local state of emergency and has been deemed “out of control” since it was discovered on Monday — was 60 hectares in size, with Hurford attributing an increase to improved mapping.
“It’s been a long week,” Hurford told the briefing Friday, while noting that the community that’s halfway between Vancouver and Whistler usually sees a lot of traffic and visitors over the weekend.
Hurford said he’d heard of people wanting to return to closed trails, but it was not safe to “push the limits.”
“We want visitors to be mindful of the extensive emergency response that’s underway,” he said.
Squamish Fire Rescue chief Aaron Foote told the briefing that extra ground crews and another helicopter had arrived to help the fight. The district had earlier said on social media that a Black Hawk helicopter would be helping the aerial fleet bucket the flames.
Foote said there had been strong progress at the southern end of the fire and the heavy bucketing was underway in the north.
He also noted fire activity had “decreased substantially” thanks to an increase in humidity.
But he said burning trees had dropped overnight, within about 40 metres of homes.
More than 200 properties, including multi-family dwellings, were under evacuation alert, he added.
Foote said there had been a “truly incredible” outpouring of support from the community for the local and BC Wildfire Service firefighters.
Baldwin said he expected the fire to be declared held "within the next operational period or the day after that."
The Squamish fire is among about 100 blazes actively burning across the province.
The Pocket Knife Creek wildfire in the northeast is the biggest in the province at more than 1,500 square kilometres, and the wildfire service says it has grown significantly since merging with another fire on Sunday.
But BC Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci said in a video update on social media on Thursday that anticipated rain could aid in suppression efforts this weekend.
She says she's hopeful the rain will help, although the fire has a large perimeter and it remains to be seen how much the rain affects fire behaviour.
It is one of three wildfires of note, alongside the Kiskatinaw River fire and the Summit Lake fire, all of which are in the northeast where most of the province's fire activity is concentrated.
A situational report posted to the service website on Friday said rain was also forecast for most of northern B.C. this weekend before easing Sunday, and warned of the possibility of slides caused by sudden rainfall on eroded areas.
The report noted a "warming trend" was expected to return to the province on Sunday, which could then stretch into next week and increase fire behaviour.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.
Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press
