No rain relief in sight for crews battling Metro Vancouver park fire after 'warmest September in history'
After one of the driest months on record in Metro Vancouver, Environment Canada says it will be a week to 10 days before the region sees any rain.
This is not good news for crews battling forest fires, including a growing wildfire in Coquitlam’s Minnekhada Regional Park.
Not only has it been dryer than normal, it’s also been a lot warmer.
“In Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford, and including some other places in B.C., it’s going to be the warmest September in history,” said Yimei Li of Environment Canada.
Nine B.C. communities set high temperature records on Saturday, following a month in which several other days broke records.
Smoke from the park wildfire could be seen all over Metro Vancouver Sunday, especially on the North Shore.
“You could really feel it, and smell it, and I could certainly feel it in my chest,” a cyclist in the area told CTV News.
Minnekhada park has been closed to ensure safety and help crews put the fire out. The public has also been asked to avoid the area. However, the regional district said in an update on social media that "there is no concern for evacuation and no structures are threatened."
Li expects Environment Canada to reveal more record-breaking statistics Monday that will show just how remarkably warm and dry it’s been. Many parts of the province are currently in a Level 4 drought, the second-highest rating on the province's five-point scale.
“Usually by mid- or the end of September we should switch to a rainy season, however we haven’t seen that so far this year,” Li said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
'Ready to go': Fort McMurray residents prepared for evacuation as crews battle nearby wildfire
An evacuation alert remains in place in the Fort McMurray area on Monday afternoon.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.