Latest news with #BeauMichaud
CTV News
11-08-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Smoke from Wesley Ridge fire on Vancouver Island could last for months
A road crew awaits a potential closure along highway 4 as the Wesley Ridge wildfire burns out-of-control at Cameron Lake near Coombs, B.C., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito BC Wildfire Service said an out-of-control wildfire burning on Vancouver Island near Cameron Lake could generate smoke for the 'coming weeks, and potentially the coming months.' The warning appears in a video that BCWS posted to its Facebook page Sunday as part of a larger update on the Wesley Ridge wildfire. 'The public will be seeing smoke at the height of land here on Wesley Ridge for the coming weeks, and potentially, the coming months,' said operations sections chief Beau Michaud while seen standing on a temporary helicopter landing pad fashioned out of logs. But Michaud added that he does not expect the fire to impact Highway 4 connecting communities along the western shore of Vancouver Island with communities on the eastern shore. Arlen Kanary, operations branch director, also shared more general insights into the fire first discovered July 31. Kanary said this fire has presented crews with 'lots of challenges' when it comes to access. 'There are some extreme slopes, some challenging terrain, that have really limited our ability to fight this fire,' Kanary said. He added that crews using heavy equipment have opened up old and existing logging roads and built temporary helicopter landing pads to improve access. But Kanary said the terrain does not always allow crews to bring in heavy equipment to help contain the fire itself. 'So we have to use hand tools and chainsaw to create a fire line,' he said. Another challenge comes from the current drought conditions, he said. 'There is no water on this mountain side,' he said. 'We have had to do a lot of moving of water with water tenders and aviation resources.' Kanary said BCWS will keep crews on site for the 'foreseeable future' until full containment. Madison Dahl, fire information officer with the wildfire service, said Sunday the fire grew to 5.9 square kilometres from 5.8 square kilometres on Saturday. She added that the fire grew in remote area, but expects rising temperatures to cause more smoke and impact fire behaviour. Dahl also added that officials continue to investigate the cause of fire currently suspected to be human-caused. The Regional District of Nanaimo, meanwhile, continues to work on a plan to lift most but not all evacuation orders to allow residents to return on Aug. 11. This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published August 10, 2025.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Steep terrain and limited water impact out-of-control fire on Vancouver Island
VICTORIA — The BC Wildfire Service says it will keep crews on the out-of-control Wesley Ridge wildfire near Cameron Lake for the "foreseeable future" as they deal with steep terrain and limited access to water. Beau Michaud, operations sections chief, says in a video shared Sunday that crews face "very, very steep ground with near vertical slopes heading into Cameron Lake" on the south flank of the fire first discovered July 31 and suspected to be human-caused. Arlen Kanary, operations branch director, says crews have opened up old logging roads and built temporary helicopter landing pads to access the area's "extreme slopes." Kanary says the lack of water on the side of the mountain due to persistent drought conditions on Vancouver Island has been another challenge, adding that crews have had to bring in water through tenders and helicopters. Michaud says the public should expect to see smoke from the fire for the "coming weeks, and potentially the coming months" but does not expect the fire to impact Highway 4 connecting communities along the western shore of Vancouver Island with communities on the eastern shore. Madison Dahl, fire information officer with the wildfire service, says the fire grew to 5.9 square kilometres from 5.8 square kilometres on Saturday, but expects rising temperatures to cause more smoke and impact fire behaviour. This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 10, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
