Power line failure sparks wildfire near Belcarra, Sasamat Fire says

It appears that a power line failure sparked a wildfire Saturday evening near Belcarra, according to the Sasamat Fire Department.

“There was obviously a defect in the system and that’s what caused the fire,” Chief Jay Sharpe explained.

“It was definitely a failure of the powerline. So the power pole, it’s a wooden power pole, and it caught on fire before anything else, so that’s what caused the fire and one side started dropping embers onto the ground. Then they ignited the ground.”

It appears that a power line failure sparked a wildfire Saturday evening near Belcarra, according to the Sasamat Fire Department. (Courtesy Twitter/@@RCMSAR02)

Sharpe says crews worked overnight to get the blaze under control.

“Worked on it until about 2 a.m. So from 9:30 p.m. until about 2 a.m. before we had substantially knocked it down, and then we stayed on until about eight o’clock this morning extinguishing hotspots,” he said.

“Crew found heavy fire involvement up a steep cliff, probably about 200 vertical feet up from the water, [it was a] challenging fire because of the steep terrain,” he said.

It’s been a busy and long night for the crew assisting our friends @SasamatFire with a forest fire. pic.twitter.com/VKOsgmHy67

— RCM-SAR 02 North Van (@RCMSAR02) May 14, 2023

Firefighters were able to successfully protect a cabin that was near the fire. Sharpe says crews set up a wet-zone around the property, preventing any damage.

Sharpe says there is no ongoing risk to the public.

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“The fire has been fully knocked down and now it’s in the mop-up phase,” he said.

Sharpe adds that it’s important for people to be “extra vigilant” as more fires continue to pop up around the Lower Mainland.