An evacuation alert prompted by a wildfire near Vancouver has been lifted for roughly 30 properties in a nearby community. The Village of Lions Bay issued the alert on Sunday night for residences on Oceanview and Kelvin Grove roads, situated uphill from Highway 99. The Lone Tree Creek fire is currently active in the vicinity of Mount Unnecessary and the Erin Moore trails. On Sunday, Lions Bay Search and Rescue was involved in evacuating hikers from the area.
In an update on Monday morning, the Village of Lions Bay reported that the fire is now “being held” by the B.C. Wildfire Service, indicating that it is under control and not expected to spread further. The fire, as of Monday, covers a small fraction of a square kilometer in size. Ground and air crews from the B.C. Wildfire Service, along with support from Metro Vancouver and West Vancouver, responded to the fire. Smoke from the fire might have been visible from the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
The wildfire was ignited by lightning following an unusual and powerful thunderstorm that produced around 7,000 lightning strikes as it traversed the province. The thunderstorm caused several fires across southern British Columbia. The B.C. Wildfire Service noted that although the lightning was accompanied by precipitation in many areas, reducing the number and intensity of new fires, there is a risk of “holdover fires” emerging where lightning strikes smolder before erupting in warmer conditions.
As of Monday afternoon, British Columbia was facing almost 180 active wildfires, with about one-third of them categorized as uncontrolled.