Wildfire in Metro Vancouver park now under control

COQUITLAM, B.C. - The Metro Vancouver Regional District says a small wildfire sparked in a park last Saturday is now considered under control.

A statement from the district says a 50-person firefighting crew has established a 15-metre "wet line" around the perimeter of the fire in Coquitlam's Minnekhada Regional Park, preventing any further spread.

It says ground crews are now focused on dousing remaining hot spots.

The park will remain closed over the long weekend, and the district says intermittent smoke may still be visible as firefighting efforts continue.

In the coming months, it says regional parks staff will develop a restoration plan for the burned area.

B.C.'s wildfire service says human activity is the suspected cause of the fire.

Its website shows 183 wildfires burning in B.C., with 10 sparked in the last two days as unseasonably warm and dry conditions persist across much of the province.

Metro Vancouver says conditions are still "exceptionally dry" for this time of year and the entire region is subject to a high-to-extreme fire danger rating.