The BC Wildfire Service will conduct a wildfire training exercise with Whistler Blackcomb resort staff and members of the Whistler Fire Rescue Service on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, near the top of the Fitzsimmons Express chairlift.

This exercise will include small controlled burns that will start at about 10 a.m. and continue until early afternoon. BC Wildfire Service firefighters will monitor these fires at all times and ensure they are fully extinguished.

Smoke will be visible in the Whistler area, but the resort will remain open to visitors.

The Whistler Blackcomb resort is one of the largest employers and stakeholders in the area and operates under a commercial recreation agreement, which includes an obligation to assist with wildfire response. The small controlled burns will provide real-time training for responding to a wildfire.

Wednesday’s exercise is an important opportunity for everyone involved to learn how to work better together when responding to a wildfire. The exercise will introduce resort employees to tools and techniques used by the local fire department and BC Wildfire Service. It will also give all participants a clearer understanding of the ski hill’s extensive infrastructure, including plumbing and overhead hazards. This unique, on-site training experience has run for about a decade.

The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain Range from the U.S.-Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii. 

To report a wildfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca 

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Learn More:

To see wildfire smoke forecasts from FireSmoke Canada, visit: www.firesmoke.ca