Metro Vancouver Regional District says the fire that broke out Wednesday evening in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve is now held.
In a tweet Friday morning (July 14), the regional district thanked the ground crews and aircraft, but added that the fire danger in the area remains high to extreme.
“Be vigilant: stay on designated trails, mind ignition sources, and follow posted signs.”
The #LSCR wildfire is now HELD, thanks to the hard work of ground crews & aircraft. Fire danger is High to Extreme throughout the region. Be vigilant: stay on designated trails, mind ignition sources, and follow posted signs. Report fires to 9-1-1. @NVanDistrict @BCGovFireInfo pic.twitter.com/sW5l5xQfKP
— Metro Vancouver (@MetroVancouver) July 14, 2023
The fire on Mount Seymour, east of the Seymour River, was first discovered Wednesday after smoke could be seen throughout the North Shore. It was about 0.3 hectares.
READ MORE: Wildfire burning on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver
B.C. Wildfire Service says it received more than 700 reports to the Provincial Wildfire Reporting Centre for the fire.
People can report fires by calling 1-800-663-5555 or or texting *5555. There is also the BC Wildfire Service app for smart phones or call 911.
By Thursday, Metro Vancouver said the fire wasn’t growing and was responding to suppression efforts.
During a media briefing, emergency operations centre director Brant Arnold-Smith said the focus was on ground crews and identifying and targeting hotspots, while crews also continue to conduct danger-tree assessments. He said the fire is burning deep in the ground and affecting the stability of some trees.
READ MORE: Wildfire on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver not growing, smoke reduced
“It is a very rugged, secluded area. There’s a lot of hiking that needed to happen to get into the area,” explained Arnold-Smith, noting that it takes about an hour and a half through thick brush to reach the site.
“This is tough work and it is dangerous work.”
As for the cause, that it still under investigation. B.C. Wildfire Service lists the suspected cause as human, noting that “humans start wildfires in several ways, either by accident or intentionally.”
However, Arnold-Smith pointed to a possible lightning strike. Crews saw evidence of a lightning strike on a tree.
“It is not uncommon for a lightning strike to occur and then days later, depending on the conditions, the lightning strikes have a small smouldering fire that hasn’t been noticed deep in a gully suddenly spark up and ignite into something larger.”
B.C. has “received lots of lightning strikes in the last week,” somewhere in the 20,000-mark, he said.
“It’s a remote area in a gully, so it’s very rare to find people in that area.”
But he wouldn’t fully rule out it being human caused.
“Natural events like lightning, and also human-caused fires such as those from ignition sources really pose a risk to our green spaces and regional parks during this hot, dry weather.”
He added the region hasn’t seen any rain since June 19, so our green spaces are very dry and very susceptible to any sort of ignition sources.”
It comes as all of the province – with the exception of Haida Gwaii – came under a campfire ban on Monday, with more than 1.2 million hectares having burned in the province since April 1.
READ MORE: ‘Deeply concerning’: 22 of B.C.’s 34 water basins facing severe drought levels
READ MORE: 1 million hectares burned in B.C. as wildfire season just getting started
READ MORE: B.C.’s fire season now second-worst on record
lauren.collins@blackpress.ca
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