Growing wildfire closes regional park in Metro Vancouver
A regional park in Coquitlam remained closed Sunday as crews continued to battle a growing wildfire.
The blaze in Minnekhada Regional Park was listed at two hectares in size on the BC Wildfire Service's online dashboard Sunday morning, but by noon, it had been revised to 11 hectares.
A BCWS spokesperson told CTV News it is an "assisting agency" in the response to the wildfire, referring further questions about the response to Metro Vancouver.
CTV News has reached out to the regional district for more information.
In updates on social media, Metro Vancouver said the park closure began early Saturday afternoon "to assist with firefighting operations and ensure public safety." Another social media post Sunday evening said "there is no concern for evacuation and no structures are threatened."
Crews from the BC Wildfire Service, Coquitlam Fire Rescue Services and Metro Vancouver Emergency Services were all working to put out the blaze, according to the regional district.
The BCWS said it had two helicopters and one unit crew of 20 firefighters responding to the blaze as of noon Sunday.
In its own tweet Saturday, Metro Vancouver Emergency Services said the fire is "under control and not spreading."
That appears to no longer be the case, given the growth in size reported by the wildfire service.
The BCWS dashboard listed the fire as "out of control" and its suspected cause as "human."
The fire continued to burn overnight on steep terrain, and Metro Vancouver said ground and helicopter crews would resume operations "at first light" Sunday.
Metro Vancouver Emergency Services said smoke from the blaze was affecting air quality in some parts of the region. The agency suggested residents check Metro Vancouver's online air map for details on their local air quality.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.