The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) has rescinded an evacuation alert in Area A. One property was on alert due to the Truax Creek wildfire.
BC Wildfire Service remains at the scene and will continue to put resources towards the fire. It is now listed as “being held.”
The Truax Creek fire is burning more than 180 hectares near the shores of Carpenter Lake, northwest of Lillooet.
Carpenter Lake is just east of Downton Lake and Gun Lake, both of which saw massive fires of their own in 2023.
According to the SLRD, the evacuation alert was initiated due to the "potential danger to life and health."
Meanwhile, most open burning activities are prohibited in the Coastal Fire Centre, and campfires are outright prohibited in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish.
Outside of those municipalities, the fire ban applies to all public and private land, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local government bylaw). Residents are asked to check with local government authorities for any other restrictions before lighting any fire.
Specifically, the prohibition refers to the following activities:
"Category 2 open fire" which means an open fire, other than a category 1 campfire, that
- Burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
- Burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
- Burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.
"Category 3 open fire" which means an open fire that burns
- Material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
- Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
- One or more windrows, each not exceeding 200 m in length or 15 m in width,
- Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.
Also prohibited:
- Fireworks;
- Sky Lanterns;
- Binary Exploding Targets;
- Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description; and,
- Air Curtain Burners.
The prohibition does not apply to Category 1: Campfires a half-metre high by a half-metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane, or briquettes.
Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.
