Community impacted by B.C. wildfire could be without power until Aug. 30
The Mount Underwood fire, now mapped at more than 3,600 hectares, knocked out power to more than 500 customers in Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Ditidaht First Nation on Aug. 11.
BC Hydro crews have been restoring the area since they were granted access on Aug. 16.
The initial inspection confirmed that 56 power poles were destroyed, and approximately 70 spans of power line — covering nearly 20 kilometres — will need to be restrung.
The rebuild spans six kilometres, including two kilometres of rugged terrain characterized by steep forested cliffs and unstable rock, which pose significant challenges to crews working in the area, according to BC Hydro.
Story continues below advertisement
Crews have been able to place 15 new power poles and string 11 spans of power line so far, as well as clear debris and hazardous vegetation.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Given the scale of the damage and the complexity of the terrain, BC Hydro estimated that power would be restored by Aug. 30, but that timeline may change.
2:05
Rain helps B.C. wildfire situation, but forecast is a concern
The B.C. Wildfire Service said that recent rainfall has helped crews battle the Mount Underwood fire, which is burning south of Port Alberni.
'Today we have 160 personnel working this incident, focused on north and southwest flanks… to ensure this does not spread beyond the current perimeter,' fire information officer Karley Desrosiers said.
The fire is not expected to grow bigger at this time, but smoky skies are expected in the coming days as suppression and bucketing efforts continue.
Story continues below advertisement
Two evacuation orders and three evacuation alerts remain in place near the fire but officials said those are being reevaluated all the time.
'We are in a position to be reevaluating the evacuations and alerts and from our perspectives, we make those recommendations that the risk has reduced,' Desrosiers said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
N.S. wildfires: Blaze in Annapolis Valley continues to burn ‘out of control'
The wildfire in Annapolis Valley that has forced 100 homes to be evacuated continued to rage on Wednesday morning, according to the province. While the Long Lake wildfires are still listed as 'out of control' by the province, they did not grow overnight, according to the morning update. 'There are still no reports of damage to homes. Crews are still working on dozer guards,' the report noted. The province says that 52 firefighters are working at the scene alongside 22 from Ontario and 39 other local firefighters, and that more help is on the way. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Additional firefighters from Ontario are expected to arrive on Wednesday night, while the government is also expecting planes from Manitoba and helicopters from Saskatchewan to arrive. Scott Tingley with the Natural Resources Department said Tuesday the Long Lake wildfire in the western part of the province is composed of a series of fires that together cover roughly 32 square kilometres of land. Story continues below advertisement At a media briefing, Tingley said firefighters are focusing efforts on the northern side of the wildfire that is closest to homes near West Dalhousie, where about 100 homes were evacuated after officials declared a state of emergency on Saturday. He did not say how many homes are threatened by fire. 'The fire did cross the West Dalhousie Road … so there are structures and homes in the immediate vicinity, and structure protection equipment and tactics are remaining in place,' Tingley said. Staff have been closely watching the weather forecast and movement of Hurricane Erin, Tingley said, which is expected to bring easterly winds and a 'drier air mass' to the region. 'We do anticipate that there could be a couple of challenging days in between now and likely Saturday and Sunday as things dry out, continue to dry out through the week, winds shift and increase,' he said. — With files from the Canadian Press
Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
N.B. wildfires: Firefighters continue to battle out-of-control blazes
There are 24 active wildfires in New Brunswick, with five of those being listed as 'out of control' by the province on Wednesday morning. The out-of-control fires are the Chief's and Mount Goold near Northesk, Beaver Lake Stream near Red Bank, Rocky Brook near Balmoral Parish, and Green Brook near Newcastle Parish. All of the out-of-control wildfires are located in the northern portion of the province. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Three of those fires are more than 180 hectares in size, including the Beaver Lake Stream blaze, which was discovered last Thursday; the Chief's fire, which was discovered a day earlier; and the Rocky Brook, which was discovered on Friday night. The Old Field Fire, which swelled to more than 1,400 hectares in size, remains listed as 'contained.' The remainder of the fires are listed as contained, under control, being monitored or being patrolled on Fire Watch. Story continues below advertisement The New Brunswick government says some forestry businesses will be allowed to resume operations on Crown lands under strict conditions. Activity has been restricted because of the wildfire risk in the province. Natural Resources Minister John Herron says each business will require a permit and must adhere to rules regarding work location, operating conditions, hours of operation, fire equipment and fire-watch activity. — with files from The Canadian Press
Global News
15 hours ago
- Global News
Costs of Manitoba's extreme wildfire season start to take shape, evacuations ongoing
The Manitoba government has signed a $30-million contract with the Canadian Red Cross for evacuee support and other services related to this year's wildfires. The recently disclosed contract is worth more than half the province's total annual budget for emergency services and provides a first glimpse into the cost of the Manitoba's worst wildfire season in at least 30 years. 'We know that we need to continue providing supports to Manitobans who are facing evacuations and are continuing to need support,' Finance Minister Adrien Sala said in an interview Tuesday. It's too early to estimate a total cost, Sala said, but an update is expected next month when the province is set to release its quarterly fiscal update. The Red Cross has been providing shelter and other aid for many of the people who had to flee their homes this year. Story continues below advertisement The agency has managed large evacuee centres that have at times included a large indoor soccer complex and a section of the main convention centre in Winnipeg. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Another recently disclosed contract shows the province signed a deal with hotel chain Canad Inns for just over $673,000. Government officials have called this the worst fire season since daily electronic records began in the mid-1990s. At its peak, some 21,000 Manitobans were out of their communities, with many put up in shelters and hotels. Almost 20,000 square kilometres of land has burned to date — more than double the second-worst season in 2013. Many evacuees have since returned home, but the province remains under a state of emergency and some communities, including Lynn Lake, Leaf Rapids and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, are still under mandatory evacuation orders. In recent years, the NDP government has budgeted $50 million for emergencies — a broad category that also includes costs related to floods and other natural disasters. Premier Wab Kinew recently said he expects this year's total to be above $50 million. The former Progressive Conservative government had budgeted $100 million annually and sometimes ended up spending much more. Some $266 million was spent in the 2022-23 fiscal year, when spring flooding and summer forest fires kept emergency workers busy. Provincial governments can also get some expenses covered through the federal government's Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, or DFAA, program. But the Manitoba government says such aid can be limited. Story continues below advertisement Each fire is normally counted separately and, in the past, fire damage covered by the program has often not met the minimum threshold for federal cost-sharing, says a slide deck prepared in June by the provincial emergency measures organization. 'Due to the extraordinary nature of this event, Manitoba plans to work with Canada to combine some of the fire events into the same DFAA event, recognizing it will be very difficult to separate the cumulative impacts on communities,' the slide deck reads.
