The BC Wildfire Service is reporting no fatalities or critical injuries after a helicopter working near a new wildfire on the slopes of Mount Currie/Ts'zil endured a forced landing on Sept. 3.
B.C. Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar, explained the incident occurred after the 0.009-hectare fire was spotted Wednesday morning.
“The helicopter was carrying an initial attack crew while responding to a wildfire located south of Pemberton,” he announced during a Sept. 3 wildfire update.
“I am relieved to let you know that all occupants are accounted for and there are no critical injuries. First-responder agencies are on-site or en route and they will provide more updates as they come.”
Both Parmar and the Pemberton RCMP detachment have asked residents to steer clear of the Airport Road area to provide room to first responders working at or travelling to the scene.
“I’m grateful for all the crews for all their work and in particular to the first responders supporting our wildland firefighters,” added Parmar.
Parmar also provided an update on the current wildfire situation in the province. As of Sept 3, there are 155 active wildfires burning around B.C., with 12 starts within the last 24 hours. Out of the 155, 58 are considered out of control.
“Over the past week, parts of B.C. have seen record-breaking high temperatures with little to no rain around most of the province, coupled with over 6,000 lightning strikes that resulted in a sudden increase in the number of wildfires across BC,” he told reporters. “Let me be clear, the risk of new wildfire starts and week-over-week growth remains a serious issue for much of the province, and the immediate weather forecast will continue to create challenging wildfire conditions.”
He said lightning is expected to return to the coast later this week, and that above-average heat is expected to continue into the weekend with no significant rain forecast.
New fires in Pemberton
New wildfires continue to pop up around Whistler and Pemberton. The latest, a 0.009-hectare out-of-control wildfire spotted on the slopes of Mount Currie, is visible from Pemberton. The fire brings the total number of wildfires burning in the area to eight.
Just east of Lillooet Lake, a 0.009-hectare fire is burning. On the western shore of the lake, the Bastion Peak wildfire has grown to 66 hectares. An update from the BCWS on Sept. 3 noted that “higher, inaccessible portions of this fire will continue to be active until weather conditions change." Both fires are categorized as out of control.
On the other side of the Village, a 0.5-hectare, out-of-control wildfire is burning west of Pemberton and north of Rutherford Creek. Another fire, further northwest up Rutherford Creek, is being held at five hectares. According to the BCWS, based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, the fire is projected to remain within the current perimeter.
A wildfire northeast of the Squamish-Elaho recreation site is being held at 0.88 hectares.
Two massive fires further up the Elaho Valley are burning out of control at 238.2 hectares and 414.6 hectares. Both fires are “burning in steep and inaccessible terrain that is unsafe for crews to work.”
The BCWS said conditions in the Pemberton zone will be hot and dry over the next two to three days, with above seasonal temperatures expected.
Environment Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks have issued a special air advisory for the Whistler and Pemberton area, along with much of the province. Officials say the area is likely to be affected by wildfire smoke for at least the next 24 to 48 hours.
Residents are encouraged to download the BC Wildfire app, set up notifications for local fire activity and report any new wildfires to *5555 or 1-800-663-5555.
Stay tuned to the BC Wildfire Map for the latest, and check back with Pique for updates.
