The District of Squamish Council is receiving an update on the findings of the Dryden Creek After Action Review (AAR), a report detailing the lessons learned from the June 2025 wildfire and the status of 16 specific safety recommendations.
Last June’s Dryden Creek Wildfire, burned 59.5 hectares between Dowad Drive and Depot Road. While the fire resulted in no injuries or lost structures, it served as a significant test for local emergency protocols. According to a memo from Emergency Program Manager Simon Svane, Squamish became the first community in British Columbia to utilize a “local recovery period” under the new Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA), a tool that allowed the District to maintain safety measures after the initial State of Local Emergency ended.
The AAR was conducted jointly with the Squamish Nation, and outlines 16 recommendations grouped into three themes, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) capacity, inter-entity collaboration and advanced planning.
Of the 16 recommendations the memo marks 13 in progress, one as ongoing and one as not started.
Recommendation 14, focused on expanding evacuation planning and emergency social services processes and plans, was subdivided into two sections. The ‘Emergency Social Service Planning’ sub-section is marked as in progress, while the ‘Evacuation Planning’ sub-section was marked as not started.
So far, the district has made progress on emergency training, housing and staffing. In February 2026, over 35 staff members participated in an EOC training exercise that incorporated specific lessons from the 2025 wildfire response.
The District has secured a signed agreement with Capilano University and the Canadian Red Cross to provide fixed-rate rooms for residents during future emergencies. While Squamish Fire Rescue has increased its career member count in recent years, it’s working to engage a consultant in 2026 and 2027 to develop a 5 year master plan on future staffing and resource needs.
No section was marked complete, including the first section, focused on making a list of key contacts and subject matter experts available to support response and recovery, which is slated in the document to be ready prior to the 2026 wildfire season.
The memo says that most recommendations should be completed by mid 2026 or the end of 2026.
However there are a few notable exceptions. The memo notes that advanced evacuation planning and the development of formal recovery transition guidelines are currently stalled, with staff citing “limited capacity and funding”.
According to the memo, the district remains “highly reliant” on provincial grants, specifically the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, to deliver on many of these recommendations. The memo cautions that these grants have become “increasingly competitive” due to the province’s current fiscal situation.
