Human-caused wildfire burning out of control on Vancouver Island

A wildfire burning out of control near Port Alberni was first spotted from nearly 600 metres above.

A wildfire burning out of control on Vancouver Island has grown, consuming approximately two dozen hectares of forest, since it was first discovered Sunday.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Nahmint Mountain fire, west of Port Alberni, is believed to be human-caused.

Three firefighting crews were on the ground battling the blaze Monday, while three firefighting helicopters had also been assigned to the fire, which had grown from 10 hectares on Sunday afternoon to 15 hectares by the morning.

The wildfire service estimated the fire had grown to 23.51 hectares, or roughly one-quarter of a square kilometre, by the afternoon.

A provincial wildfire bulletin from the service on Friday warned that hot and dry weather would exacerbate wildfires already in the province, and make it more likely that new fires would start.

Much of southern B.C., including Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver, remains under a special weather statement due to elevated temperatures.

The weather office says the “early season heat event” is expected to persist into the week around Howe Sound, Whistler, Pemberton, inland Vancouver Island and the Interior.

Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland and coastal Vancouver Island, temperatures are expected to cool on Tuesday.

There were 83 wildfires burning across B.C. on Monday, including 46 fires considered out of control, mostly located in the northeastern corner of the province.

More than 575 firefighting personnel and 73 aircraft were assigned to help control the fire activity.