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
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that
Austin Hunter Turner died in 2017, on a night that his mother has rewound and replayed again and again, trying to make sense of what happened.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.