Skip to content

Updated: Caution urged after vehicle fire in Sea to Sky leads to scorching of forest

Firefighters contain grass and brush fire after vehicle blaze north of Culliton Creek.

Update: 11:50 a.m., Aug. 5

The scorched earth from a vehicle fire that turned into a brush fire along the Sea to Sky Highway on Sunday night is continuing to be monitored for hot spots.

Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Aaron Foote said the local fire department was dispatched to the blaze just north of Culliton Creek at about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 4

The fire department responded with one fire engine, five firefighters, and a command vehicle, which worked alongside a BC Wildfire Service Initial attack crew to put out the blaze.

There were no injuries as a result of the vehicle fire or subsequent forest fire.

Foote said the fire burned an approximate area of 122 metres by 46 metres (400 feet by 150 feet) of grass, mosses, and deciduous brush, but was stopped before it impacted larger coniferous trees.

BC Wildfire Service will continue checking for hot spots until the fire is officially declared out, according to Foote.

"Squamish Fire Rescue would like to remind the public that forest fuels are extremely dry throughout the Sea to Sky region; please use extreme caution in the forest and along the roadways," Foote said in an email to the Squamish Chief.

Report any smoke or fires through 911 in municipal areas or *5555 on a cell phone.


Original story: 10:40 p.m., Aug 4

Squamish Fire Rescue is on the scene of a vehicle fire that has morphed into a brush fire just north of BOB, the Big Orange Bridge, on the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler.

At 10 p.m. Aug. 4, firefighters were on the scene as the shell of what appeared to be a pickup truck still burned in the northbound lane ditch, along with brush up the rock face.

An ambulance was on the scene. A small group of people was standing south of the vehicle, on the side of the road. 

Heat from the fire could be felt across the road in the southbound lane.

Traffic was moving slowly, but not stopped in either direction.

More to come....