A regional park in Coquitlam, B.C., Minnekhada Regional Park, is being fully reopened to the public Thursday.
Metro Vancouver said areas closed due to last year’s wildfire will now be open to park enjoyers.
Park visitors are strongly urged to remain on designated trails as there are “increased risks of hazard” in off-trail areas due to wildfire damage that remains.
Restoration in select areas of the park, where fire suppression efforts were focused, will be worked on by Metro Vancouver, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation and the Minnekhada Park Association.
“Although the forest is resilient, and much of the park’s recovery will take place naturally over time — the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation, in partnership with the Minnekhada Park Association, raised more than $14,000 in donations to support restoration efforts,” Metro Vancouver said in a release.
BC Wildfire Service, Metro Vancouver and the Coquitlam Fire Department responded to reports of a fire in the High Knoll area of the park on Oct. 1, 2022.
The fire grew to 14 hectares in size and crews worked for weeks to get the fire under control, despite arid conditions and challenging terrain. The fire was determined to be human-caused.
The park partially reopened after the fire was extinguished at the end of October, however, the High Knoll Trail and other areas remained closed while crews removed hazardous trees and conducted environmental and safety assessments.
The regional district said it would increase staff presence on trails in the park and is reminding the public that smoking is strictly prohibited.
The park is fully open to the public as of Thursday, March 16 at 12 p.m.