Wildfire near UBC's Wreck Beach prompts crews to ask residents to avoid area

Fire crews at Vancouver's Wreck Beach on June 29, 2021.

Vancouver — A wildfire burning near the University of British Columbia's Wreck Beach led crews to ask people to avoid the area Tuesday morning.

Officials initially released very little information about the blaze, but said they were on scene at about 7 a.m.

In a news release later in the day, Vancouver Fire Rescue Services said the flames were three to four metres high when firefighters arrived.

Because it was in an area with steep terrain and thick vegetation, as well as due to its size, the B.C. Wildfire Service was called in to help.

A notice from UBC said the fire was near the top of Trail 5 along Northwest Marine Drive.

A helicopter and 13 VFRS apparatus were on scene to aid firefighters.

A little after 10 a.m., the fire was out. Firefighters said an area of about 0.45 hectares, "roughly half the size of a sports field" was burned by the time it was extinguished.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but VFRS said "discarded smoking material" is the suspected source, and reminded the public that smoking is not permitted in any beach or park.

Those found to be breaking the rules may face fines of $500.

The fire broke out as Vancouver remains under a heat warning. Temperatures were expected to reach 30 C in the city on Tuesday. On Monday, the Vancouver area broke a temperature record set in 1995.

That year, the mercury rose to 27.5. But on Monday, it got as high as 31.7 C, based on Environment Canada data from a station at the Vancouver International Airport.

VFRS said the dry spring and extreme heat have left green spaces especially vulnerable, and asked that smokers dispose of materials properly.