WVFR on the Scene, Asking People to Avoid the Area
Smoky skies to the south of the village again, as fire breaks out above the highway in the Whyte Lake area of Cypress Falls Park.
West Vancouver Fire Rescue (WVFR) attended the scene, and, in a tweet released about 2 p.m., are referred to the event as a brush fire.
Emergency Support Services Director Mary Brown tells The Watershed that at least four firetrucks and half a dozen police cruisers are on scene. She says that North Vancouver Fire Rescue has now also been called in to help.
For those residents signed up for the Alertable app, an advisory was sent out by Drive BC at 2:30 p.m. that the highway is now closed in both directions, with cars being detoured via the lower road.
4 p.m. Update:
The Village of Lions Bay issued a smoke warning via the Alertable app this afternoon at 3:39 p.m. as a result of the fire. The warning suggests that people with pre-existing health conditions, respiratory infections, pregnant women, children and infants are more likely to experience health effects from the smoke.
Included in the alert was an advisory of increased air traffic, as both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters join in the firefighting effort. BC Wildfire, Coastal Fire Centre has reportedly responded to support fire fighters on the scene.
5 p.m. Update:
Air support for the Whyte Lake fire continues, as multiple fixed-wing aircraft circle the village. As of 5 p.m., Coastal Wildfire reports the blaze is still considered out of control, although there has been no reported change in size from the initial three hectares as yet. The fire is suspected to be human-caused, and no current evacuation orders have been put in place.
Evening Update:
Earlier, Emergency Support Services Director Mary Brown captured footage showing seven waterbombers circling the waters of Howe Sound, a taste of which is excerpted above.
As of 7:30 p.m., BC Wildfire Service reports that while the Whyte Lake fire is still burning, it's now down to one hectare in size, and is "being held", which means it's not likely to spread under current conditions. The four stages of fire control include: Fire of Note, Out of Control, Being Held and Under Control.
In the Coastal Fire region of which Lions Bay is a part, there have been 86 fires this year. Across the province there are currently 100 wildfires burning; 71 caused by lightning, 20 human-caused and nine of unknown origin.
The Watershed has contacted representatives at the BC Wildfire Service for comment, and will continue to follow developments as they happen.
Have thoughts to share with The Watershed after the second wildfire in the area before the end of June? Site members can share their thoughts below, and as always, all our readers can email us at editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca
Great work on keeping us informed on this incident! Without Karen's reportage and Mary's video, members of the community would have had to depend on the much inferior coverage by the mainstream media! Hats off to you two!!!
Given the tinder dry area, two fires that required complete fire engagement from wild fire, bcem, marine search and rescue and today we can add air support , I would like to see the fireworks planned for Canada Day- cancelled. Municipalities across the province are cancelling their fireworks and given the two recent emergencies we shouldn’t be ignoring the Climate Emergency, we should be setting an example.
Prior to getting the tips from Andrea and Karen, I only had a Lions Bay entered into Alertable. I now have added Squamish an West Vancouver.
I am signed up for the Alertable app but did not receive anything about this incident.