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Coquitlam wildfire no longer growing but Metro Vancouver skies are smoky

The fire in Minnekhada Regional Park that sparked Saturday only grew minimally overnight and is "spotty" as of Monday

A wildfire in Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam that sparked Saturday was nearly contained by Monday thanks to firefighting efforts by Metro Vancouver and B.C. Wildfire Service.
A wildfire in Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam that sparked Saturday was nearly contained by Monday thanks to firefighting efforts by Metro Vancouver and B.C. Wildfire Service. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

A wildfire that sparked Saturday in Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam is no longer growing, but Metro Vancouver warns smoky skies could persist for days.

The regional authority and B.C. Wildfire Service credited “proactive firefighting efforts” on Sunday with bringing the blaze nearly under control.

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“Though not fully contained, an aerial assessment this morning found minimal overnight growth,” said Metro Vancouver spokesperson Greg Valou in an update early Monday afternoon. “Currently, the fire is spotty over an area of approximately 12 hectares” (about 0.12 square kilometres).

Valou said both ground and aerial crews were deployed, including five helicopters that are dropping water on the fire Monday. “With continued dry weather in the forecast, the firefighting effort is expected to be a multi-day operation.”

The park is closed and the public is asked to avoid the area. Drones are strictly prohibited over active wildfires and could hinder firefighting efforts and put crews and pilots at risk.

Although the wildfire service suspects the Minnekhada fire is human-caused, Valou said it’s too early to discuss a possible investigation or consequences. He said the focus right now is strictly on containing the blaze.

Wildfire smoke from the fire has been widely reported around Metro Vancouver, but there is no active air quality advisory. The B.C. government provides advice on minimizing the health effects of wildfire smoke on its website.