UPDATE: An evacuation order for Lillooet Lake Estates and Heather Jean Properties homeowners has been lifted by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
"The debris flow from the McCullock Creek Drainage has decreased to the point that it is currently safe to re-occupy the area," reads a post on the SLRD's website.
"Please be aware that future heavy precipitation may again trigger slope instability and require emergency response actions and Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resrouce Operations geotechnical staff have advised that they will be conducting an onsite assessment in the coming days."
While the out-of-control wildfire on the south bank of Lillooet Lake is now sitting at 367 hectares (and a second out-of-control fire on the north shore is 34 hectares), the Mount Miller fire is now being held at 46.9 hectares.
Check www.bcwildfire.ca for updates.
----------
A couple of days of rain will help BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews as they battle several fires near Pemberton—but the wet conditions could hinder operations, too.
“The rain is good and bad,” said Julia Caranci, fire information officer with the BCWS’ Coastal Fire Centre.
“The rain is helping somewhat to quell the fires, but at the same time, it’s making conditions difficult for our firefighters to get into the area, and as you know, it’s a very mountainous area to begin with, and lots of obstacles, so we have a lot of concern about that.
“So just trying to access things safely over the next couple of days will be crucial.”
There are four out-of-control fires making up what the BCWS is now referring to as the Pemberton Complex Fires: three on the shores of Lillooet Lake (one at 165 hectares, one at 20 hectares and one at 16 hectares) and one on Mount Miller (56 hectares).
All are suspected to be lightning caused.
The largest fire, the 165-hectare blaze on the southern shores of Lillooet Lake, is in “very challenging, steep terrain, and unstable slopes, because the rain does two things: it makes everything wet and slippery, and also when our firefighters are trying to access areas, there is a large chance of debris falling down, so it can be a danger,” Caranci said.
“And so we have rap crews working to develop helicopter access points into that fire right now, and establishing water delivery.”
The 20-hectare blaze on the adjacent shore isn’t threatening any homes or infrastructure directly, Caranci said, but the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District has upgraded an evacuation alert for homes in the area to an evacuation order citing a risk of debris flow.
Find updates here.
The Mount Miller fire is a lower priority at this point, Caranci said.
“It’s in a more remote area than the others, and at the same time, our resources have been called to higher priority fires right now,” she said.
“So that fire will be resourced as needed and of course they’ll be reprioritizing after the rain comes through over the weekend.”
Despite the rain of recent days, Caranci said it’s important for people to remember there is still an open burning ban, and the only campfires permitted are small fires half a metre by half a metre.
“It’s very important that people don’t think that just because we’ve had a day or two of rain that the fire season is over. There has been less rain in the Pemberton area so far than there has been on Vancouver Island,” Caranci said, adding that temperatures are expected to heat up again over the next week.
“So [we still have] concerns there … we want everybody to keep the message that prevention right now is key.”
There are currently 14 active fires in the Coastal Fire Centre region: Six under control, two being held, and six out of control.
Check bcwildfire.ca for updates.
