Large maple removed from Maple Ridge Park after fungus assessment

City of Maple Ridge removed a large bigleaf maple near a picnic shelter at Maple Ridge Park on Aug. 31 after arborists identified Kretzschmaria deusta, also known as brittle cinder fungus.

The city said the fungus weakens trees internally and can make them susceptible to sudden breakage. The removed tree measured about 90 to 100 centimetres in diameter at breast height and stood roughly 15 to 18 metres tall.

Officials said the fungus may enter through injuries near a trunk base or roots and can spread through connected root systems or root grafts. The precise source of infection in this case could not be confirmed, although an injury was considered the most likely entry point because a neighbouring tree showed no visible infection.

The work took about six hours and involved two arborists and two ground crew members. The city said a second bigleaf maple near the spray park was removed in early 2025 after the same fungus was found, while no other affected trees were identified in the earlier arborist reports.