Province Investigates Blaze

Tunnel Bluffs trail fire may have been human-caused

Natural Resource Officers (NROs) from the province's Ministry of Forests were on the site of the recently-extinguished fire near Tunnel Bluffs on Sunday.

In British Columbia, NROs are authorized to safeguard British Columbia’s cultural and natural resources by enforcing provincial regulations as well as Canadian criminal code violations including arson.

The blaze, which was first reported on Saturday afternoon, was initially rated by BC Wildfire Service as out of control. The service's ratings include 'out of control', 'being held', 'under control' and 'out', with particularly ferocious blazes marked as 'wildfires of note'.

A Lions Bay Fire Rescue spokesperson said that responsibility for fire suppression was immediately handed over to the Coastal Fire Centre branch of BC Wildfire, after which a helicopter was dispatched, and was spotted dropping buckets of water on the blaze by mid-afternoon. The fire never grew larger than a hectare in size, and by that evening was considered as 'being held'. By Sunday morning, it was declared fully extinguished.

A NRO spokesman said the officers had been dispatched to the site to find evidence of the source of the fire, which BC Wildfire Services indicated may have been caused by humans.

The Tunnel Bluffs trail was not closed throughout the firefighting efforts, and remains open.

The Watershed values your opinion.

Share your thoughts below, or email editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca

Like what you're reading?

For as little as $5/month, you can support local independent journalism

by subscribing to The Watershed HERE.