Helicopter video shows Squamish wildfire impact from above

The District of Squamish shared this aerial tour of the Dryden Creek wildfire Friday night.

The District of Squamish has shared new video of the Dryden Creek wildfire that broke out Monday, prompting a local state of emergency, evacuation alerts and anxious days for residents of the community.

The helicopter tour of the fire area, which the district posted on social media Friday night, shows minimal smoke and fire activity along the steep ridge where the blaze has been burning.

In the video, clusters of red trees can be seen where aerial crews dropped fire retardant, while swaths of grey and brown show areas that were burned in the fire.

As of Saturday morning, the BC Wildfire Service still classified the fire as “out of control,” but crews said Friday that they expected to be able to update that status to “being held” sometime over the weekend.

• Read more: BC Wildfire Service expects Squamish fire held soon, as residents celebrate rain

In its most recent update, the district said the fire remained 59.5 hectares in size and “cool, cloudy conditions” were supporting less intense fire behaviour.

A total of 65 BCWS firefighters, five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment were responding to the blaze Saturday.

“The fire will remain visible, especially at night, as it consumes unburned fuel,” the district’s update reads.

“This activity is expected and does not necessarily indicate fire growth or pose a cause for concern.”