Residents show ‘the good parts of human nature’ as wildfire cuts power to Bamfield, B.C.

The community of Bamfield, B.C., is pictured on Aug. 6, 2017. (Shutterstock)

Mark Lawrence says residents of Bamfield, B.C., are used to relying on their generators for extended periods, and though he wishes it was easier to take a hot shower these days, the small community is coming together to support each other after a wildfire severed the community’s power and main road access.

“I know a friend who had two generators and took one over to somebody who didn’t have a generator. Not only did he take it over, he rebuilt the carburetor, filled it with gas, delivered it, started it, plugged it in, made sure everything was fine, (gave) advice on how to work it, and away you go,” he said in an interview on Friday.

“That’s just small communities, you know? The good parts of human nature, people come together and help each other. ”

Power to the small community of a few hundred full-time residents has been off since Monday when an intense wildfire on central Vancouver Island cut off power and access to Bamfield’s main road.

BC Hydro says it could be up to a week before it will be able to get the lights back on again.

Lawrence, who runs a small sport fishing company and lives in Bamfield six months of the year, said long-term residents prepare for extended power outages at least once every winter.

“I think the longest I’ve ever heard of the power being out for winter was 12 days or something like that. So, those people are prepared,” he said Friday as rain fell outside his window.

“They’ve got generators, they got food supplies, they’ve got extra gas, they’ve got everything they need. They’re just sort of rolling with the punches and seeing what develops.”

The drenching weather has helped calm the out-of-control Mount Underwood wildfire, to what the BC Wildfire Service said on Friday is now “mainly a smouldering ground fire.”

An update from the fire service said it was expecting up to 30 millimetres of rain on Friday, but that wouldn’t be enough to fully suppress the blaze and could also affect slope stability and cause problems with rockfalls and dangerous trees.

Smoke from the Mount Underwood fire triggered an air-quality statement in the region, along with parts of Vancouver Island’s east coast and the Sunshine Coast on the B.C. mainland.

The intense wildfire grew to more than 34 square kilometres this week, at times displaying aggressive fire behaviour that the BC Wildfire Service called “unusual” for Vancouver Island, before it moderated on Thursday.

Saudamini Raina, a spokeswoman for BC Hydro said in a statement that the power company was hoping to receive clearance from the BC Wildfire Service on Friday to begin an initial damage assessment.

She said the timeline for restoring power could take anywhere from a few days to a week depending on what the crews find when they are allowed to enter.

“The timeline for restoring power will depend on several factors, including the extent of damage to our infrastructure, the amount of debris near or on our lines, and the stability of pole locations,” she said.

“Because the fire remains active, we must receive permission from the BC Wildfire Service before conducting a full inspection — whether by ground or air.”

Raina said BC Hydro has crews from the Port Alberni district office ready to support this work, and is preparing to bring in additional specialized teams from outside the region, if needed.

Lawrence said he watched a barge with two fuel trucks arrive on Thursday providing fuel for generators.

The Huu-ay-aht First Nations, whose traditional territory includes Bamfield, has begun providing 20 litres of fuel per day for generator use to its citizens.

The nations also cancelled all Bamfield reservations up to Tuesday, and local businesses will not process any new reservations for that time period.

Parks Canada said it was starting to limit visits to the popular West Coast Trail in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

About 80 fires are burning across the province, including six that are out of control.

This report by Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press, was first published Aug. 15, 2025.