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March 02, 2019 - 8:00 PM
MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. - An evacuation order has been issued to residents of a homeless camp in Maple Ridge, B.C., where three fires have broken out in the span of a week.
About 50 people live in the Anita Place tent city and the order says fire hazards pose an imminent danger to lives.
Flames broke out most recently on Friday morning and a large area at the rear of the nearly two-year-old camp was believed to have burned.
The City of Maple Ridge says a number of propane cylinders were found at the site and some had exploded from the heat of the fires.
The city says it's reaching out to BC Housing to find shelter for the campers during the evacuation period.
Last week, police arrested several people at the site as officers worked with firefighters to clear the encampment of electrical connections and fire accelerants, which were barred by a court order. (NEWS 1130)
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019