Hollow Tree at Stanley Park damaged by fire
Posted September 12, 2014 3:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A popular tourist landmark in Stanley Park may have been targeted by arsonists.
Crews had to douse a fire inside the Hollow Tree overnight, and then had to return when smoke was seen coming out of the red cedar again around 3 a.m.
“It appears as though somebody stuffed something high up in there and then lit it. It is wood but it’s been there for a number of years so it’s not all that easy to ignite,” says Vancouver Fire Assistant Chief Chuck Stanford.
The tree stump, which was restored after being damaged in a major windstorm which tore down hundreds of trees in Stanley Park in 2009, is about 700 years old.
It’s not the first fire in the park in recent years and Park Board chair Aaron Jasper says there are security concerns.
“Perhaps we need to look at better security in the park, quite a daunting task as it is a thousand-acre park. But the Park Board does take these instances very seriously whether it’s a building or an iconic symbol like the Hollow Tree.”
Jasper also says security cameras have been mentioned but are likely cost-prohibitive.
