Almost exactly one year ago, on April 11, 2020, a fire started on Magee Road in the Squamish Valley that would burn out of control for weeks, forcing dozens to evacuate.
Heading into the weekend, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is getting a small sense of déjà vu as it watches the weather forecast.
Weather patterns are expected to bring hot, dry air from the Interior through the Sea to Sky valley this weekend, said Donna MacPherson, fire information officer with the BCWS’ Coastal Fire Centre.
While normally, sea breezes from the ocean pushing inland might negate the Interior outflow, “right now the coast is much drier than normal, and these little weather pushes from the ocean aren’t enough to overpower it,” MacPherson said, adding that the hot, dry winds are expected to intensify on Sunday.
“And what that’s reminding us is about the Magee Road fire that happened on April 11 last year, with exactly the same kind of a weather event … So the messaging this weekend is, ‘Don’t start a fire.’ Full stop,” she said.
“We’re not seeing any lightning in the forecast, so any fires that we expect over the weekend are going to be from stuff people are doing.”
While big trees in the forest are likely in reasonable shape heading into the 2021 fire season, the forest floors are still covered in dry fuels at this point, MacPherson said.
“Our forests produce an awful lot of stuff that falls on the ground that’s dead, and all of that stuff is going to respond to [the hot, dry wind] that’s coming in over the weekend,” she said.
“If we do have a fire coming up, it could get up and move a lot faster than people think.”
While there are no fire bans in place, Coastal Fire is urging caution for anyone using fire this weekend.
“When we talk about using fire, it’s people who are using campfires, backyard burning, or pile burning of any kind, and it may shock them how quickly the fire gets away,” MacPherson said, adding that you should never use fire when it’s windy.
“If you do decide to use fire at all, please be prepared … you’ve got to have some way of putting it out, which means you’ve got to have water and tools, you’ve got to be standing beside it so that it doesn’t get away, and if the wind comes up, you’ve got to put it out.”
Report suspected wildfires immediately by calling 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell phone. In Whistler, call 911.