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A wildfire-related evacuation alert for about 30 properties in a community just north of Vancouver has been rescinded.
The Village of Lions Bay issued the alert at 9 p.m. PT Sunday, for properties on Oceanview and Kelvin Grove roads, upslope from Highway 99.
The Lone Tree Creek fire is burning in the area of Mount Unnecessary and the Erin Moore trails, and Lions Bay Search and Rescue said Sunday it had been tasked to help officials evacuate hikers from the area.
In an update at 11:10 a.m. PT Monday, the Village of Lions Bay said the fire was considered “being held” by the B.C. Wildfire Service, which meant it is not expected to spread beyond current boundaries.
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The thunderstorm damaged property across the region, led to power outages and grounded air traffic for several hours overnight at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
As of Monday, the fire was measured at just a fraction of a square kilometre in size.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) responded to the fire with ground and air crews and support from Metro Vancouver and West Vancouver. It said smoke from the fire may have been visible from the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
The fire was sparked by lightning, following a rare and intense thunderstorm that that delivered some 7,000 lightning strikes as it passed through the province.
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A series of lightning strikes lit up the skies across B.C.’s South Coast in a rare display Saturday night. Environment Canada reported nearly 2,000 strikes between Saturday night and Sunday morning, as the storm also disrupted operations at Vancouver International Airport.
The thunderstorm sparked dozens of new fires across southern B.C.
The BCWS says the lightning was paired with precipitation in many areas, helping reduce the number and severity of new fire starts.
However, it warned that “holdover fires” could pop up in places where lightning strikes smoulder in the underbrush before igniting in warmer temperatures.
As of Monday afternoon, there were nearly 180 active wildfires across B.C., about a third of them classified as out of control.