Two fires in Stanley Park caused by cigarette butts: fire officials
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services now says a pair of grass fires in Stanley Park over the long weekend were human-caused.
The first fire happened Monday afternoon, on Cathedral Trail, deep in the forest.
Crews arrived with the help of park rangers to find a two-by-two-metre area around a stump that was smouldering.
While they were on scene, they were flagged down by a passerby, alerting them to a second fire in a grassy area near Second Beach.
A witness told CTV News there was also a third fire, near the totem poles, though firefighters didn’t have a record of that blaze.
The on-duty chief told CTV News Tuesday morning that both confirmed fires were accidentally caused by a discarded cigarette butt.
Firefighters are now renewing their warnings about tinder-dry conditions in the park.
“Everybody needs to be our ears and eyes,” says Karen Fry, Chief of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.
“If you see someone smoking in a park, gently remind them. Maybe they’re visitors to our city and they don’t know. Gently remind them there’s no smoking in our parks.”
Since June, crews have been called to 23 fires in Stanley Park. On Friday, the Vancouver Park Board took the unprecedented step of shutting down the park during overnight hours due to the extreme fire risk.
“The current conditions in Stanley Park are extreme right now and given the size of the park, the risk of a fire breaking out overnight when fewer people may notice it or report it presents a significant threat to the wellbeing of the park,” said Amit Gandha, director of park operations, in a release.
The park will be shut down between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. indefinitely, until the fire risk has been significantly reduced.
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Nafeesa Karim
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
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.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.