Main road access for Bamfield, B.C., closed by Vancouver Island wildfire to reopen

The road is seen closed at the Bamfield Main due to the Mount Underwood wildfire south of Port Alberni, B.C., on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (Chad Hipolito / The Canadian Press)

PORT ALBERNI — After being closed for months, the main road to the Vancouver Island resort community of Bamfield and the nearby First Nations is expected to reopen in two weeks.

The Ministry of Transportation says in a release that the route is scheduled to open on Oct. 24, after it was closed in August because of the Mount Underwood wildfire.

The ministry says more than 1,000 dangerous trees on the slopes along the road’s corridor have been removed, and the work will continue until Oct. 18.

The ministry says crews have also begun building a new weather station that will monitor conditions such as wind and precipitation, which will allow officials to close the road temporarily in case of severe conditions.

The Mount Underwood fire triggered several evacuation orders in the area in August and cut of power to Bamfield.

The BC Wildfire Service says the province is now past its peak fire season, with the number of active blazes down to 91 and 18 fires declared out in the last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025.