Whistler Fire Rescue Service (WFRS) is reminding the public to stay fire smart after crews extinguished a large illegal campfire near Green Lake on Sunday night.
At approximately 9 p.m. on May 18, ten firefighters—both career and paid-on-call—responded to a report of a wildfire east of the lake. Crews were dispatched from all three local fire halls and faced challenges accessing the area. Once on scene, they found a group of young adults gathered around a large campfire set directly beneath the BC Hydro transmission line.
“The fire was extinguished using fire hoses and water from our Wildland truck,” said WFRS Fire Chief Thomas Doherty.
The incident occurred despite recent rainfall and a current low fire danger rating from the BC Wildfire Service.
“While the current BC Wildfire Service Fire Danger Rating is low, and we have had some recent rain, it’s important to still be vigilant as the forest remains dry and wind can cause flames to spread,” Doherty said.
Campfires in Whistler are only permitted when the fire danger rating is low or moderate and always require a fire permit.
Doherty urged residents and visitors to properly extinguish campfires using sand and water and to ensure matches and smoking materials are safely discarded.
“If you see wildfire, please call 911 or *5555 on a cell phone,” he said, adding that community members can also sign up for emergency notifications at whistler.ca/WhistlerAlert.
