A forest fire that prompted the evacuation of homes near Smuggler Cove Tuesday evening was caused by human activity, Halfmoon Bay Fire Chief Ryan Daley has confirmed.
The fire call came in at 3:54 p.m. after a “controlled burn got out of control,” Sunshine Coast RCMP Const. Karen Whitby said in an email alert to local media just before 6 p.m.
Estimated at 2.5 hectares (six acres) in size, the fire was burning in an area northwest of Brooks Road and Walker Road near Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park.
Halfmoon Bay and Sechelt fire departments responded and BC Wildfire Service sent in two helicopters, a response officer and a three-person initial attack crew.
About eight homes in the area were evacuated by RCMP and 50 others were put on alert.
“The decision was made due to the rapid growth of the fire and the difficulty of its location,” Daley said. “It was a safety precaution to remove people from the area in case the fire was not contained and the rapid spread continued.”
Firefighters had the blaze under control by about 8:15 p.m., Daley said.
“The fire appears to be out!” Whitby said in an update to local media at 7:29 p.m. The Halfmoon Bay Volunteer Fire Department remained on scene and monitored hot spots through the night to ensure there were no flare-ups.
“Crews from BC Forestry have returned this morning to assist with hot spots and maintain the safety of the perimeter,” Daley said Wednesday. “We will continue to monitor the fire until we believe it is safe.”
In a statement to Coast Reporter, Lori Pratt, Sunshine Coast Regional District chair and Halfmoon Bay director, praised the “tremendous response by Coast first responders to protect residents in this emergency.”
Pratt, who lives in nearby Secret Cove, thanked the firefighters, RCMP and other emergency responders for their “incredible team effort” and thanked local residents “for evacuating so quickly.”
Daley said the fire served as a strong lesson. “This is a real good eye-opener – a good indication of how dry things are this year and how careful we’ve got to be,” he said.
