A wildfire that sparked in a forested area of Maple Ridge Friday night is still smoldering, but authorities expect it to be considered “held” by the end of the day Saturday. Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue crews battled the blaze overnight, according to the city, which says the fire is burning “at the top of the Rock Ridge area along the interface of the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest.” The B.C. Wildfire Service, which is providing support to the suppression effort, estimated the blaze at 1.5 hectares in size as of Saturday afternoon. Fire crews from UBC Forestry are also involved in the response. “Fire activity has slowed down and the fire is currently contained,” the city said in its afternoon update. “The expectation is for the fire to reach ‘held’ status by the end of the day. Assessment of trees and surrounding hazards in the area is currently underway.” No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire, and the city has said in all of its updates that there is no risk to nearby properties. “We have also received questions regarding why an emergency alert was not issued during this incident,” the city said. “At no time did the fire pose an immediate danger to public safety or nearby properties that would require an emergency alert.” The BCWS lists the blaze as human caused, though the city said the exact trigger of the fire “remains under investigation and is currently unknown.” “Conditions remained stable overnight and weather conditions held as forecasted, assisting crews in preventing further fire escalation,” the city said in its Saturday morning update. “Thank you to all crews who worked tirelessly throughout the evening and overnight to help protect our community.” Approximately 25 firefighting personnel were on scene into the early morning hours, according to the city. Nearby residents may be affected by smoke from the blaze, the city said, advising those who are sensitive to smoke to keep their windows and doors closed and limit outdoor exposure when possible. “Please continue to avoid the area for your safety and to prevent interference with firefighting and water shuttling activities,” the city said. “The public is also reminded to not operate drones anywhere near the fire area as they may interfere with aircraft operations supporting firefighting efforts.” As of Saturday morning, the Maple Ridge fire was the only out-of-control wildfire burning in the province. There were 24 active wildfires in B.C., according to the wildfire service dashboard, but the other 23 were classified as “being held” or “under control.”
