Dunster-Croydon fire grows to 164 hectares

The fires near Hailey Creek have joined

By Abigail Popple, reporter at local journalism initiative, RMG

The Dunster-Croydon fire, south of the Fraser River, has grown to 164 hectares since its discovery on Friday. The fire is currently out of control, meaning BCWS anticipates it will spread beyond its current perimeter.

BCWS Information Officer Sharon Nickel said BCWS is setting up a car guard at the base of the hill where the fire is burning.

“They’re working on getting a fuel-free zone and setting guards up there to help protect against any spill that might come down the hill,” Nickel said. “They’ve got three helicopters assigned (to the Dunster-Croydon fire) today, but if there were any strong winds or if the visibility was really poor, it would take us a while to get resources up in the air.”

Crews fighting the fire have seen increased fire activity in the evening when aviation resources are blocked, according to Nickel.

“When we don’t have that availability of aviation resources, there’s increased activity because we can’t get a ton of water on those fires in more remote locations or steep terrain,” Nickel said. “And with the longer days and how sunny and warm it’s been, there’s been an increase in activity later in the day.”

The Fraser-Fort George Regional District issued an evacuation alert for the area on Saturday. Residents in the affected area shown below should be ready to leave shortly and should prepare an emergency kit for their household as well as make an evacuation plan for pets and other animals on their property .

Two fires near Hailey Creek, north of the Fraser River, have merged into one. According to Nickel, this can make the fire more manageable, though it still comes with a unique set of challenges.

“When fires coalesce, typically they’ll take out the larger pockets of that unburned fuel, so there’s not as much for the fire to consume,” she said. “But the challenge with that is now you have a bigger perimeter.”