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NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
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Where we are at and where we are headed
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
S Q U A M I S H C H I E F. C O M
WHEN THE WILDFIRE HITS TOO CLOSE TO HOME Community spirit shines as firefighters protect their town from the Dryden Creek wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes
JENNIFER THUNCHER, INDIGO LEMAY CONWAY, INA PACE news@squamishchief.com
F
or a very short time on Monday, June 9, the big story of the day was that Mayor Armand Hurford had announced at the Squamish Chamber of Commerce luncheon that he wouldn’t be running again. Then, at about 4 p.m., everything shifted. The Dryden Creek wildfire started and quickly spread, reaching 59.5 hectares at its peak. By June 11, the District had declared a state of local emergency due to wildfire, and Hurford was thrust in front of cameras day after day with nary a question about his future. Hundreds of homes from Depot Road east of Highway 99 to Tantalus Road were put on evacuation alert; about 11 remain on alert as of press time. Two properties were put on evacuation order
PHOTO BY JILLIAN A. BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY/ @JILLIANABROWNPHOTOGRAPHY
Mayor Armand Hurford answers questions at a press conference on June 12 regarding the Dryden Creek wildfire.
due to the slope instability above their homes, due to the wildfire’s impact. Alice Lake Provincial Park was evacuated and closed until Tuesday, when it partially reopened. As of press time, the fire is being held at 59.5 hectares. Firefighters say progress has been positive in the last few days, but it may be some
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time before it is fully declared out.
‘EVERYTHING ELSE CAN BE REPLACED’ The fire came breathtakingly close to some homes, including that of Simon Thomson. The flames reached 10 metres from his property line.
He rented pumps and had friends come by to help soak this property to protect it. Fellow resident Ian MacKay described it as “raining ash” for days. Even a deputy fire chief’s home was within the FIRE: Continued on 2
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