Update from UBC (For saftey updates please visit emergency.ubc.ca)
Fire incident in Pacific Spirit Park
Updated: Wed, Sep. 7, 2011, 3:59 PM
Fire response crews advise that the fire in Pacific Spirit Park adjacent to UBC’s Vancouver campus is largely contained. The campus has remained open, and there is no threat of evacuation for nearby buildings.
UBC Botanical Garden, a staging area for response crews today, will remain closed for the remainder of the day and expects to open tomorrow. A fire watch will be conducted by Metro Vancouver Parks Board today and tomorrow. S.W. Marine Drive has now been re-opened, but there may be limited access during the evening and night.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services reports that the fire rating in most of our region is rated as “high,” and is asking community members entering any forested area either for recreation or work purposes to practice the utmost in fire safety when dealing with any items that could spark a fire.
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UBC Botanical Garden will be closed today Wednesay September 7, 2011 due to this fire.
Firefighters are battling a small forest fire that broke out near UBC's Wreck Beach, just west of Vancouver, around 10 p.m. PT Tuesday.
By early Wednesday morning the fire was estimated to be about ¾ of a hectare in size but it is not expanding quickly or threatening any homes or building, fire officials say.
Fire officials say no evacuation orders have been issued, but if the smoke builds and the wind shifts they may issue a voluntary evacuation advisory for people with respiratory issues in nearby buildings.
About 40 firefighter fought the fire overnight, but it proved difficult to get under control because it is burning on a steep slope in an area without any trails or roads.
Around 6:30 a.m. a team of tree fallers and forest fire specialists arrived to help fight the fire. A helicopter is also expected to help fight the fire and the coast guard hovercraft has been monitoring it from the water below the cliffs.
Southwest Marine Drive has been closed to traffic between 16th Avenue and Totem Park while firefighters work to control the blaze.
The fire danger rating for the area is rated high because of a long stretch of hot dry weather in recent weeks.
Story from CBC News.
News updates from other sources:
The Province
News 1130
The Vancouver Sun
