The Village of Lions Bay has shut down public access to trails due to wildfire concerns.
“This decision was not taken lightly, and we look forward to welcoming hikers back when conditions are safe for everybody, after we get some much-needed rain,” Lions Bay Mayor Jaime Cunliffe said.
“We wanted to get the message out, so hikers don’t drive all the way here only to find they can’t go hiking.”
The municipal government said the closure aligns with other communities around the province and is an effort to curb any wildfires caused by humans.
“Due to unprecedented hiker pressure in our backcountry areas, we must unfortunately take this temporary measure to reduce the risk of a human-caused wildfire,” Lions Bay staff said in a release.
“Unlike other communities such as Kelowna and Yellowknife where fires started kilometres away, a fire on trails could be only hundreds of metres away from homes.”
The wildfire risk is heightening due to low water supply and significant drought conditions.
The Lions Bay region is currently at Drought Level 5, where adverse impacts are “almost certain.”
“Unlike other Metro Vancouver communities, Lions Bay relies only upon its watershed above the village. A fire in this area would contaminate the water supply with disastrous consequences for our small community,” staff said.
“A further danger is that hikers at the popular Tunnel Bluffs viewpoint could be stranded, putting a further strain on rescue efforts and endangering visitors and residents alike.”
Currently, there are 364 active wildfires burning around the province, it the worst wildfire season on record.
The 2023 season has shattered all previous records for the number of hectares burned, with more than 1.76 million hectares burned this year as of Aug. 25.