Crews fighting out-of-control wildfire in Squamish, B.C.

A wildfire in Squamish, B.C., is seen on Monday, June 9. (Courtesy: Squamish Fire Rescue)

Crews are fighting a wildfire in Squamish, B.C., that sparked Monday afternoon.

Squamish Fire Rescue and B.C. Wildfire Service members are on scene, and two helicopters and an airtanker are dropping buckets on the blaze.

As of about 7:45 p.m., the fire was listed as out of control and five hectares in size on the BCWS website. It’s located just east of Highway 99 between Dowad Drive and Depot Road.

The agency suspects the fire was human-caused.

The local fire department asked people to avoid the area and told drivers not to stop on the highway to look at the fire.

The wildfire comes as an “early season heat event” moves through southern B.C., which broke daily temperature records in several communities Sunday, including in Squamish.

As of Monday evening, there were 85 wildfires burning across B.C., about half of them listed as out of control.

Read more: Dry northeast ‘region of greatest concern’ in B.C.’s wildfire season: officials