A wildfire that triggered evacuations near a Metro Vancouver regional park this week is now under investigation by the RCMP. The blaze in Belcarra Regional Park reached one and a half hectares in size, prompting the tactical evacuation of two Anmore-area homes and putting 35 others under evacuation alert, before it was largely contained Thursday. The Coquitlam RCMP are asking anyone who captured photos or video in the area around the park between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Aug. 5 to contact investigators. “The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and police are seeking the public’s assistance to determine the cause,” the RCMP detachment said in a statement Friday. Authorities said they are particularly interested in obtaining video from the following areas: Forty firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control on Thursday. The B.C. Wildfire Service says the fire was sparked by human activity and is now “being held.” “Anmore and Belcarra are strong, beautiful communities that take a great pride in maintaining their regional park,” Const. Ashleigh Daniels said in a statement. “We are asking anyone who was in the area, witnessed anything suspicious, or may have video footage or information related to this investigation to contact police.” Metro Vancouver officials praised the wildfire service for its rapid response to the blaze, saying helicopter bucketing efforts “contributed significantly to the rapid containment of the fire.” Anyone with information or images related to the investigation is asked to contact the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-155.
