New blaze ignites in Metro Vancouver as smoke spreads across the Lower Mainland

Late Wednesday, one outlet broke out in Belcarra Regional Park about one kilometre southeast of White Pine Beach at Sasamat Lake, spreading to 1.5 hectares. Authorities ordered tactical evacuations of two properties on Fern Drive and issued an alert covering around 35 homes in the Village of Anmore. Initial suppression relied on aerial water drops because live electric wires blocked ground access until B.C. Hydro cut power, after which 40 firefighters engaged the fire.

Metro Vancouver incident commander Brant Arnold-Smith noted the lack of wind as a safety advantage. Air-quality alerts—orange for the eastern Fraser Valley and yellow for Metro Vancouver and the central Fraser Valley—were attributed to smoke from fires in the South Cariboo, the interior, and the Boston Bar complex. The province continues to monitor several large wildfires, including the Pear Lake fire, the Bradley Creek fire and others, while numerous highways and ferry services remain closed.