Vancouver Island wildfire grows as evacuation orders, alerts remain

The Wesley Ridge fire was discovered just after midnight Thursday and is believed to be human caused. (Handout)

An out-of-control wildfire that has forced residents from their homes on Vancouver Island has grown in size as a state of local emergency remains in place for a second day.

The B.C. Wildfire Service estimates the Wesley Ridge wildfire has burned approximately 125 hectares on the northern shore of Cameron Lake, between the communities of Port Alberni and Parksville.

Evacuation orders and alerts

Evacuation orders remain in effect for all properties on the north side of Cameron Lake, as well as on Chalet Road, east of the lake.

The Regional District of Nanaimo says the local RCMP are enforcing the evacuation order, while many more properties have been placed under evacuation alerts.

The alerts are in effect for several neighbourhoods near the wildfire zone, including properties on Klein Ridge Road, Tom’s Turnaround, Wallace Wood Way, Warn Way, Dars Place, Peligren Place, Lewis Lane, Country Road, Martini Way, Kim’s Crescent, Jay Bail Trail, Dunwurkin Way, Canuck Cres, Taylor Walk, Cameron Crescent, Abbey Road, Pady Place, Spirit Way, Lailah’s Loop, Wayat’s Way, Easy Way, Farrah’s Way, Karen’s Court, Laura’s Loop and the 1600 and 1700 blocks of Meadowood Way.

Residents in the alerted areas should prepare to leave their properties in the event an evacuation order is required.

“Residents will be given as much advance notice as possible before evacuation is ordered, however, you may receive limited notice due to changing conditions,” the regional district said in its advisory.

On Friday afternoon, the district issued a new warning to people in the Horne Lake area, north of the fire zone.

“Horne Lake residents, campers and day-use visitors are asked to stay within 100 metres of the shore,” the advisory said, explaining that venturing any farther into the lake could interfere with helicopters that are filling their buckets with water to drop on the fire.

The campground at Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park is also covered by an evacuation alert but remains open to the public, a spokesperson for the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks said Friday.

‘A challenging fire’

The Wesley Ridge fire was discovered just after midnight Thursday and is one of approximately 120 wildfires currently burning in the province. The fire is believed to be human caused, according to provincial wildfire officials.

“Overnight growth was cross-slope, east to west between the lake and the ridge,” the wildfire service said in an update Friday morning. “Tactics will focus on the north flank of the fire.”

Five aircraft, including firefighting helicopters and fixed-wing waterbombers, were battling the blaze from the skies, while approximately 60 firefighters were on the ground with heavy equipment and structure-protection resources.

“That area has very steep terrain that is difficult for our crews to access,” said Kimberly Kelly, a spokesperson for the Coastal Fire Centre, in a media call Thursday afternoon. “This is a challenging fire for us.”

The provincial wildfire service is urging travellers on nearby Highway 4 to be mindful of firefighters and aircraft in the area.

“Proceed with caution and stay focused on the road and don’t stop the flow of traffic,” the agency warned in a statement.

The wildfire service defines an out-of-control fire as a wildfire that is “spreading or it is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter.”

There were about 60 new wildfires burning in B.C. on Friday morning, with half of the province’s wildfires considered out of control.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.