Belcarra fire held, Buntzen Lake reopened

The wildfire near Belcarra Regional Park is now considered held. Buntzen Lake recreation area reopened, evacuation alerts for 35 Anmore properties have been rescinded, and the two households that were evacuated have been cleared to return.

A downed power line forced ground crews to briefly pull back Wednesday evening near Sugar Mountain Trail, while BC Wildfire Service helicopters bucketed the fire from the air for over six hours. The power line was de-energized shortly before 8pm.

Crews from BC Wildfire Service, Sasamat Volunteer Fire Department, Port Moody Fire Rescue, and Metro Vancouver Emergency Management brought the fire under control by Thursday night, working through steep terrain where the fire had embedded as deep as four feet into the ground.

The cause remains under investigation. No firefighters were injured. (Reporting draws on original coverage by Jeremy Shepherd, Tri-Cities Dispatch.)