Wildfire near Maple Ridge neighbourhood contained after multi-agency response

A fast-moving wildfire in the upper Rock Ridge area of Maple Ridge has now been brought under control after crews spent days battling flames in steep terrain along the edge of the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest

The fire was first reported around 6:30 p.m. on May 22, prompting a large response from Maple Ridge Fire & Rescue Services, the BC Wildfire Service and UBC forestry crews.

Maple Ridge Fire Chief Dave Samson credited quick coordination between the three services with preventing the blaze from growing larger.

“The lack of spreading was really due to quick reconnaissance work, and just really collaborative firefighting efforts between our crews,” Samson said.

On Friday, the City of Maple Ridge said firefighters were dealing with “extremely steep and challenging terrain” near the interface of the UBC property.

By Saturday morning, the fire had grown to approximately 3.7 acres, with about 25 Maple Ridge firefighters working to contain it.

Samson said there was no risk to public safety, or the homes located 350 to 400 metres away, and there was no need to issue an evacuation alert.

“At no time were any of those homes at risk the way the fire was breaking, so we were quite sure that the community was safe,” he said.

Firefighters initially struggled to access the blaze after reports came in from the nearby residential area, eventually having to set up operations on the UBC property.

Once crews reached the site, they faced difficult conditions on rocky slopes filled with hazardous trees.

“We responded to a residential neighbourhood …but we could not access the fire with any apparatus up there,” Samson said. “It was very, very steep rocky terrain where the fire was located.

“Most of our crews were working their best on the ground, and then laying wet lines to stop the fire from spreading.”

Because of safety concerns overnight, active firefighting operations had to pause until daylight hours while BC Wildfire danger tree specialists assessed the area.

UBC forestry crews then brought in logging equipment to remove dangerous trees before firefighters resumed suppression work.

Samson said crews relied on large portable water reservoirs and water tenders because there were no hydrants in the forested area.

“We shuttled water into there and extracted it with forestry hose lines out of those water reservoirs that we established,” he said.

The fire was declared “held” late May 23, meaning it was not expected to spread beyond existing boundaries. On May 25, the BC Wildfire Service upgraded the status to “under control,” though crews continued monitoring for hotspots.

The fire has been determined to be human-caused, and the province has sent investigators to the site.

The incident comes as coastal communities increasingly prepare for wildfire threats once more commonly associated with B.C.’s Interior.

“We are seeing a trend where fires are hitting urban areas and closer to the coast and not just in the mountains and drier areas,” Samson said. “It is realistic to happen here.”

Samson said Maple Ridge Fire & Rescue has spent the past several years adapting its training and equipment in response to increasingly dry conditions linked to climate change and lessons learned from major wildfire events across western North America.

“We’ve really changed our focus in the last couple years to ensure that all of our training specialized equipment that we’re prepared,” he said. “We’ve really pivoted a fair amount to be prepared for these types of events to occur in urban and rural interface areas, and not just in the interior and drier parts of the province.”

He noted that Maple Ridge firefighters had recently completed wildfire training exercises with staff from the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest before the blaze broke out – preparation he described as “very, very timely.”