An evacuation alert due to a wildfire near Vancouver has been lifted for approximately 30 properties in a community. Lions Bay authorities issued the alert for properties on Oceanview and Kelvin Grove roads, located upslope from Highway 99. The Lone Tree Creek fire, situated in the area of Mount Unnecessary and the Erin Moore trails, prompted Lions Bay Search and Rescue to assist in evacuating hikers from the region. The fire is currently under control according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, indicating no expected spread beyond its current boundaries.
The fire, ignited by lightning following an intense thunderstorm that brought about 7,000 lightning strikes across the province, has been contained to a small area. Ground and air crews from the B.C. Wildfire Service, Metro Vancouver, and West Vancouver have responded to the fire. Smoke from the fire may have been visible from the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
The thunderstorm sparked numerous fires in southern B.C., but the combination of lightning and precipitation in many areas helped mitigate the severity of new fire outbreaks. The BCWS warned about the possibility of “holdover fires” emerging as lightning strikes may smoulder in the underbrush and ignite under warmer conditions. Currently, there are close to 180 active wildfires in B.C., with about one-third of them categorized as out of control.
