Minnekhada wildfire in Coquitlam no longer out of control

A wildfire in Coquitlam’s Minnekhada Regional Park is no longer out of control, according to the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD).

Brant Arnold-Smith with the MVRD Emergency Management team says the fire is being held at around 14 hectares.

“Work by ground crews by British Columbia Wildfire Service as well as Metro Vancouver crews and support by helicopters and aerial aircraft have really allowed us to make a great deal of progress over the last 24 hours,” he explained Tuesday.

“We’ve gained access to critical areas in the park that have been established, and hose lines have been used to create a perimeter around 90 per cent of the park.”

The wildfire at #Minnekhada is currently being held at 14 ha. and is no longer considered to be out of control. Work by ground crews and aerial support over the past 24 hours has allowed firefighters to access critical areas and establish hose lines around the fire perimeter. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/MUqpc8WtdV

— MVRD Emergency Services (@metrovanemerg) October 4, 2022

A crew of about 50 firefighters from surrounding fire departments and the BC Wildfire Service have been working away at the blaze since it sprang up on Saturday.

While a perimeter around the fire has been established, Arnold-Smith says new activity could continue within it.

“There are green areas where fuels have not burned within that 14 hectares. So as we have encompassed the fire scene, we will see though some fuels within that 14 hectares ignite over the next few days, and our crews will respond accordingly to put them out.”

Related articles: 

• Minnekhada Regional Park wildfire shrinking, but not yet fully contained

• Unseasonal dry heat fueling wildfires across B.C.

• Wildfire ignites in Coquitlam

He says crews have had their hands full in navigating the area around the fire, with water dumps also being brought in from the nearby Pitt River.

“Hats off to the crews. It’s been treacherous conditions to work in a lot of very dangerous areas to try to gain access to on the ground,” Arnold-Smith added. “Aerial support has been instrumental in getting us to this stage.”

Weather forecasts for the area aren’t showing much natural relief for fire crews, with more unseasonably sunny, dry conditions expected in the days ahead.

“We’ve seen a long period of warm weather that is forecasted to continue over the next week with very little precipitation. So all those factors combined have been taken into consideration tactically, and have been integrated into our fire fire suppression plans,” he said.

“We are confident that we will be moving to the stage of under control in the coming days.”

Hazy conditions will persist today due to a combination of high humidity and wildfire smoke from the Minnekhada fire, as well as a complex of fires southeast of Chilliwack/Hope. While fine particulate matter is elevated, levels remain below #airquality advisory thresholds. pic.twitter.com/WR1EvHxsCG

— Metro Vancouver (@MetroVancouver) October 4, 2022

Arnold-Smith says hazy conditions should be expected to remain over the next couple of days as crews continue to work at getting the fire under control.

The Minnekhada Regional Park wildfire is believed to be human-caused and is one of 184 wildfires burning in the province as of Tuesday, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The park remains closed to the public and there is no estimate as to when it may reopen.