Wildfire on Vancouver Island continues to grow

CBC

3 days ago

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A wildfire on Vancouver Island continues to burn out of control, growing to 494 hectares as of Monday morning.
The Wesley Ridge fire was discovered Thursday, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). It is burning on the north banks of Cameron Lake, about 50 kilometres northwest of Nanaimo, B.C.
The service said "challenging fire behaviour" was observed Sunday.
An evacuation order is still in effect for 393 mostly residential properties in the area. The order requires residents to leave immediately.
Another 238 properties are under evacuation alert, meaning residents need to be ready to leave at a moment's notice.
There are 67 BCWS personnel responding to the Wesley Ridge fire, along with seven helicopters. A number of other fire departments from across Vancouver Island are also battling the blaze, and helping with structure defence, according to the latest update from the wildfire service.
The service noted visibility in the area is limited due to the smokey conditions and said it will update the size of the fire as conditions permit.
Dimitri Vaisius, deputy incident commander with the wildfire service, said in a communications video that crews had a "pretty successful" day on Sunday for structure protection near a number of homes.
He said "night-viz" helicopters have been "extremely helpful" for identifying hot spots around structures in the night.
Highway 4 remains open, but the B.C. Ministry of Transportation has warned travellers between Parksville and Port Alberni to be mindful of "potential sudden changes" that could cause delays.
Traffic personnel are in place to respond "if a change or interruption to the flow of traffic on the highway is needed by the B.C. Wildfire Service as it battles the Wesley Creek blaze."
For the most up-to-date information, visit DriveBC's website.
The Wesley Ridge fire is suspected to be human-caused, which is how any wildfire not sparked by lightning is categorized.
There are 137 active wildfires burning across the province, according to the BCWS.