Significant progress has been made containing the Elaho and Boulder Creek wildfires, due to the hard work of BC Wildfire Service crews who have taken advantage of reduced fire behaviour in recent days.
The Elaho wildfire is now 45% contained. It’s located about 67 kilometres west of Pemberton and covers 12,523 hectares. Despite the difficult terrain, crews continue to extinguish hot spots inside and along the fire’s perimeter, establish fuel-free zones and install sprinklers to reinforce existing control lines. Helicopter bucketing operations are supporting ground crews and working to extinguish less accessible hot spots.
The Boulder Creek wildfire is now 55% contained. It’s burning about 23 kilometres northwest of Pemberton Meadows and covers 6,365 hectares. Firefighters working on this wildfire are also contending with challenging terrain. They continue to establish control lines to limit the wildfire’s spread, extinguish hot spots and mop up along the fire’s perimeter. Six helicopters are currently supporting ground crews on this fire.
Despite the recent decrease in fire behaviour on the Elaho and Boulder Creek fires, a warming trend has returned to the region. Hot and dry conditions will result in higher fire danger ratings, increased fire behaviour and more smoke being visible in surrounding areas.
Over the next few days, if conditions allow, fire crews will be conducting controlled burns within the perimeter of the Boulder Creek wildfire to remove unburned fuels. This suppression tactic decreases the chance of the fire breaching established containment lines.
The safety of firefighting crews and the public is the BC Wildfire Service’s top priority. The Elaho and Boulder Creek wildfires are still active and Area Restriction Orders are in place in the region. Members of the public need to respect these orders and any associated road closures to ensure their own safety and the safety of firefighters.
- For the Boulder Creek wildfire, the Lillooet River Forest Service Road is closed starting at the nine-kilometre mark, just past the turnoff to the Hurley River Forest Service Road.
- For the Elaho wildfire, the Squamish River Forest Service Road is closed starting at the 27-kilometre mark.
For more information about these wildfires, please visit: www.bcwildfire.ca
To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. You can also follow the latest wildfire news: