Pemberton Music Festival 2015 gets green light to proceed despite wildfires

Organizers of this year's Pemberton Music Festival say three governments have given them the go-ahead to stage the four-day event.

Officials from the Lil’wat Nation, Village of Pemberton, and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District have agreed that the current forest-fire situation does not call for the cancellation of the fest, according to a joint news release issued today (July 8).

“Safety remains our top priority. The situation is being monitored and evaluated daily. If present conditions continue, the Pemberton Music Festival can proceed safely,” Pemberton mayor Mike Richman stated in the release.

Chief Lucinda Phillips of the Lil’wat Nation and SLRD chair Jack Crompton are also quoted in the release.

“The Pemberton Music Festival is an important event both for our community and for the entire region,” Phillips said. “Safety for our communities and for festival guests is the priority and we are pleased to see conditions improving in the past 24 hours. We will continue to work closely with our regional government partners and festival organizers to monitor the situation right through the event.”

Crompton stated: “The safety of the public is our number one concern. All three jurisdictions are working together and our Emergency Management Team is assessing the situation daily. At this time, there is no reason for us to contemplate the cancellation of the Pemberton Music Festival.”

The fest takes place July 16 to 19.

The Boulder Creek fire is 23 kilometres northwest of Pemberton, and the Elaho fire is 67 kilometers west of Pemberton.

"Fire activity in the South Coastal region has led to smoke in the Pemberton Valley and the surrounding areas," the release notes. "While air quality is a concern, the current wildfire situation does not warrant cancellation of the festival."