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Fire flares up in Ruby Bowl

Five hectare fire not affecting Blackcomb, Peak 2 Peak operations


Fire flared up on Blackcomb again Monday afternoon, though it was markedly smaller than the 30-hectare blaze that turned heads last week.

The fire started up at about 3:45 p.m. and was still visible atop the mountain at about 5:30 p.m. The Resort Municipality of Whistler said in a statement that it burned in the Ruby Bowl area, a popular location for extreme skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

The cause of the fire is unknown but experts contacted by the municipality said it was the cause of "hold-over lightning" from the July 30 fire.

The fire initially burned at a Rank 3 to 4 level, meaning it was a moderately to highly vigorous surface fire that spreads anywhere from one to six metres a minute and the estimated size was five hectares.

Two helicopters tackled the fire; one with water, the other with a mix of water and foam.
Tourists on Blackcomb Mountain were escorted off when the fire began as a precaution and it's not believed that any critical infrastructure was put in danger.

The Peak 2 Peak gondola and Blackcomb are both open to the public today.