A small wildfire that broke out just north of Horseshoe Bay late Wednesday was likely caused by human activity, according to firefighters. 

The blaze was sparked just steps away from the Baden-Powell Trail, and there have been no recent lightning strikes in the area that would explain how it started.

"It's very unfortunate," said Jeff Bush, assistant chief of the West Vancouver fire department. "All indications are pointing to it being human-caused."

Provincial, regional and municipal crews are all working together to knock down the fire, which is estimated to have tripled in size overnight. By noon Thursday, the flames had spread across roughly three hectares, or about 30,000 square metres.

Officials said the fire is burning just 300 metres above the Sea to Sky Highway, creating a huge plume of smoke over the North Shore. One lane of the highway has been shut down to make it safer for firefighters at the scene.

Crews have been using helicopters to bucket water onto the blaze from the nearby Whyte Lake since just after dawn, and started using air tankers to dump retardant onto the area before noon.

It's unclear how much control they have over the flames, but no evacuation orders or alerts have been issued in Horseshoe Bay, a small community of about 1,000 people located in West Vancouver.

Firefighters have closed off the Baden-Powell Trail and the trails around Whyte Lake, however, and have asked the public to avoid the area until further notice.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim