Forest fire near UFV campus possibly sparked at homeless camp

Authorities believe a fire that broke out in a forested area of Abbotsford, B.C. Monday night might have started at a homeless camp. 

The local fire department responded to calls about smoke coming from an urban park just south of the University of the Fraser Valley campus at around 9 p.m.

Asst. Fire Chief Craig Leighton said crews found "the remnants of inappropriate cooking" at the scene.

"At this point, indications are that it is a homeless camp," Leighton said.

Because of the fire's location near the university, firefighters dispatched a lot of resources to make sure it could be quickly extinguished.

"Crews worked well to get the fire out and knock it back, we're still rooting around in the trees and extinguishing hot spots," Leighton said around 11 p.m.

"We've got lines around the perimeter so we've got it fully contained and we're just doing mop up."

The fire had grown to about 30 metres by 30 metres before firefighters were able to get it under control. Leighton warned the public that it's extremely dry outside, and the conditions are ripe for small fires to grow quickly.