A fire in the early hours of Sunday morning in Vancouver's iconic Stanley Park brought down an ancient cedar tree.

Vancouver Fire Chief Dan Wood says the blaze began overnight on Sunday and worked its way up the centre of the dying tree, eventually causing it to collapse.

Wood says the cause of the fire is still under investigation but that it may have started from a cigarette butt or by someone homeless who was trying to keep warm.

The incident occurred near Lost Lagoon, at the intersection of Tatlow Walk and Lovers Walk trails.

A spokeswoman for the Vancouver Park Board says the tree was hundreds of years old and that crews initially responded to reports of flames around 8 a.m.

The fire was contained to a single, 35-metre tree and is no longer considered to be a threat.

Map of Tatlow Walk in Stanley Park