Belcarra ground fire prompts two evacuations
Two Anmore properties have been evacuated and 35 are on alert after a fire spread over a large section of təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park on Wednesday.
Located near Sugar Mountain Trail, Metro Vancouver judged the blaze to be 0.8 hectares Wednesday afternoon. By 7 p.m. the fire had grown to 1.5 hectares and was considered out of control, according to B.C. Wildfire service.
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By evening, crews were attacking hot spots and keeping the fire contained, according to a release from Metro Vancouver posted shortly before 10 p.m.
While firefighters planned to conduct an overnight watch, the blaze isn’t expected to grow beyond containment lines, according to Metro Vancouver.
Anmore set up its Emergency Operations Centre and village staff are working to support the community, according to a statement from acting Mayor Doug Richardson.
“We’re a small team, but we will be doing our best to keep our residents updated,” Richardson stated.
Richardson thanked first responders and asked residents to share official posts from Anmore and Metro Vancouver, “as the best source of accurate information.”
Three B.C. Wildfire Service helicopters dumped water on the blaze Wednesday while members of the Sasamat Volunteer Fire Department, Port Moody Fire Rescue, Metro Vancouver Emergency Management staff worked together to suppress the fire.
The blaze appears to be a ground fire under the power lines, according to a social media post from the Sasamat fire department.
Evacuation alerts
The evacuation alert applies to properties along Oak Court, northeast on Crystal Creek Drive, and on Fern Drive north of Magnolia Way.
Residents are advised to pack ID, medicine, birth certificates, pet food, and other essential items in case the need arises to leave on short notice. Residents are also advised to keep vehicles gassed up and to figure out a family meeting spot outside the evacuation area.
Anmore residents can sign up for emergency alerts at anmore.com/alertable.
The Buntzen Lake recreation area is closed until further notice.
This story has been updated since first being posted.
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