'Abandoned campfire' to blame for new wildfire near Mission B.C.: local officials

Mission Fire and Rescue Service shared this photo on Facebook of a wildfire near Stave Lake that sparked on Sept. 10, 2022.

An abandoned campfire in B.C.'s Fraser Valley has sparked a wildfire that has grown to five hectares, according to local officials.

On Sunday morning, firefighters in Mission posted on social media saying they were called to the area near Stave Lake to assist the BC Wildfire Service Saturday night.

"This fire is outside city limits. Fire is not near any structures or infrastructure," the post said.

"We are asking the public to stay clear of the area as active fire operations will be happening throughout the day."

The BC Wildfire Service dashboard says the fire is suspected to be human-caused and is burning near the Florence Lake Service Road.

The weekend has been marked by hot, windy weather that is causing increased wildfire activity in the region. Evacuation orders and alerts have been issued due to a growing blaze near Hope and the Lower Mainland is under an air quality advisory.