Latest news with #CoastalFireCentre
CTV News
2 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Vancouver Island wildfire triggers evacuation order, state of local emergency
The wildfire service is urging travellers on Highway 4 to be mindful of firefighters and aircraft in the area. (Handout) The Regional District of Nanaimo has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for an out-of-control wildfire burning Thursday on central Vancouver Island. The Wesley Ridge fire was discovered just after midnight on the northeastern shore of Cameron Lake, opposite Highway 4 between the communities of Port Alberni and Parksville. The fire has burned an area measuring approximately 20 hectares and the blaze is believed to be human caused. The Nanaimo district issued an order to evacuate the area around the northern edge of Cameron Lake following the recommendations of the B.C. Wildfire Service, saying the fire is 'a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of persons' in the region. The district says the local RCMP will be enforcing the evacuation order in the area, which includes Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. Approximately 40 firefighting resources, including helicopters and airplanes, are dousing the blaze, while provincial wildfire crews are attacking the flames from the ground with assistance from the Coombs and Dashwood fire departments. 'That area has very steep terrain that is difficult for our crews to access,' said Kimberly Kelly, a spokesperson for the Coastal Fire Centre, in a media call Thursday afternoon. 'It is important to note that aviation resources are used to cool and contain fires, while the crews on the ground are really the resources responsible for extinguishing the fire completely. So this is a challenging fire for us.' A statement from the wildfire service said its evacuation order recommendations were 'based on ease of access for crews and structural protection equipment, as well as egress for public.' The Wesley Ridge fire is considered a low to moderately vigorous surface fire with open flames visible and moderate rate of speed. 'The terrain will give us some challenges in terms of accessibility and safety for our crews,' Kelly added. The wildfire service is urging travellers on Highway 4 to be mindful of firefighters and aircraft in the area. 'Proceed with caution and stay focused on the road and don't stop the flow of traffic,' the agency warned in a statement. The wildfire service defines an out-of-control fire as a wildfire that is 'spreading or it is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter.' There are about 70 active wildfires currently burning in B.C., including 21 that started in the last 24 hours. Fewer than half of the wildfires now burning in the province are considered under control, while one-third are being held and one-quarter are out of control, according to the wildfire service.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Vancouver Island wildfire burning out of control, cause under investigation
Wildfire officials are investigating a new forest fire burning out of control on Vancouver Island. The Wesley Ridge fire was discovered early Thursday morning on the northeastern shore of Cameron Lake, between the communities of Parksville and Port Alberni. The fire has burned an area measuring approximately 20 hectares and the cause of the blaze is still unknown. 'Wildfire investigations often take time and can be very complex,' the B.C. Wildfire Service says in an information bulletin about its investigation. 'Investigations may be carried out by one or more agencies, including the B.C. Wildfire Service, the Compliance and Enforcement Branch, the RCMP, or other law enforcement agencies, and may be cross-jurisdictional.' A fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre says the agency will provide a live update about the fire later Thursday morning. The wildfire service defines an out-of-control fire as a wildfire that is 'spreading or it is anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter.' There are about 70 active wildfires currently burning in B.C., including 21 that started in the last 24 hours. Fewer than half of the wildfires now burning in the province are considered under control, while one-third are being held and one-quarter are out of control, according to the wildfire service. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
CTV News
19-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
New wildfire burning out of control near Highway 1 in Fraser Canyon
B.C. Wildfire Service crews are responding to a new wildfire burning in Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park in the Fraser Canyon region. (BCWS) Related: Full coverage of B.C.'s 2025 wildfire season B.C. Wildfire Service crews are responding to a new wildfire burning in Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park in the Fraser Canyon region. The blaze was detected Friday evening and was listed at 2.5 hectares in size as of the most recent BCWS update at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. 'This wildfire is visible from Highway 1 but is not currently a threat to structures or critical infrastructure,' the wildfire service said in its update. The BCWS said three crews and an officer worked on the fire overnight, and there were 22 firefighters working at the scene on Saturday. They were being supported by a helicopter and a water tender. The fire is suspected to be human-caused, according to the BCWS. A ban on all open burning – including campfires – took effect in the Coastal Fire Centre at noon on Friday. The Fraser Canyon area is one of the places where the fire ban applies.
CBC
16-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Campfires to be banned on B.C.'s South Coast as hot spell continues
Campfires will be prohibited starting Thursday at noon PT on B.C.'s South Coast as the region continues to swelter under an extended hot spell. The B.C. Wildfire Service's (BCWS) Coastal Fire Centre announced the campfire ban on Tuesday, which will apply to the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. BCWS maps from Tuesday showed extreme fire danger for the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The ban will not apply to Haida Gwaii and parts of the Central Coast, including Bella Coola. It comes due to a period of elevated temperatures on the South Coast, with fire information officer Kimberly Kelly saying the ban was in the interest of public safety. "We have seen hot dry conditions persist, and over the last 48 hours, an outflow weather pattern developed, which is bringing that hot dry air down from the Interior," she said Tuesday afternoon. "We've seen above seasonal temperatures, low relative humidities, and that means that our fine forest fuels are not recovering overnight with less moisture in the air." WATCH | High temperatures on the South Coast: How are Vancouverites staying cool while enjoying the heat? 19 hours ago Campfires — which fall under Category 1 fires, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service — are fires that are no more than half a metre high by half a metre wide, though outdoor stoves will still be allowed under the campfire ban. Anyone breaching the ban could be hit with a $1,150 violation ticket, an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, or fines of up to $100,000 and one year in jail if convicted in court. Larger Category 2 and Category 3 fires — which include larger stubble fires and large burn piles — are already prohibited throughout B.C. Kelly says the ban will be in place until Oct. 31, but it could be rescinded before then if there is a lot of rain or lower temperatures. She says there have been 71 fires so far this year in the Coastal Fire Centre, compared to 50 blazes at this point in 2024. All but one of the wildfires this year was caused by human activity, according to the officer. "Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable. So we do again urge the public to please be responsible," she said. "We would really like to support our crews in reserving them for lightning-caused wildfires, which we cannot prevent, and the public plays a really big role in that." Evacuation alerts lifted Elsewhere in B.C., the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has rescinded multiple evacuation alerts as the threat from a series of wildfires appears to have passed. The August Lake wildfire near Princeton, B.C., is listed as "being held" and the alert for residents that was in place since Saturday has been lifted. Residents of about 30 properties were previously ordered evacuated due to the fire, which is listed by the wildfire services as 14 hectares in size as of Tuesday evening. The nearby Princeton Golf Club said in a post online that news of the alert being lifted is a "big relief for everyone in the area" and it is grateful for the efforts of firefighters and air personnel. The regional district also lifted an evacuation alert for Cathedral Provincial Park due to the Young Creek wildfire, saying the threat to safety has passed.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Campfire ban coming for B.C.'s Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island this week
A campfire is pictured in the Broken Group Islands off the west coast of Vancouver Island in this undated image. (shutterstock) A campfire ban will take effect across much of the Coastal Fire Centre later this week, according to a B.C. Wildfire Service spokesperson. Fire information officer Kimberly Kelly told CTV News on Tuesday that the Category 1 fire ban will take effect Thursday at noon for all areas of the Coastal Fire Centre except the mid-coast and Haida Gwaii. The Coastal Fire Centre encompasses the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and other coastal areas of the province as far north as Bella Coola. A Category 1 fire is defined as a campfire no larger than half a metre wide by half a metre high. Bans on larger Category 2 and 3 open burning have been in place for most of the Coastal Fire Centre since the end of May. Campfire bans imposed by the wildfire service typically apply to areas outside of municipal control. Municipalities have the authority to implement their own fire prevention rules within their boundaries. Open fires are the largest source of human-caused fires in B.C., according to the wildfire service. Bans on open burning are implemented to reduce the likelihood of human-caused fires during times when an increase in lightning-caused fires is anticipated. 'Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000, or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced for up to one year in jail,' the wildfire service says on its website. 'If your fire causes or contributes to a wildfire, you may be fined up to $1 million and/or sentenced to up to three years in jail, as well as be responsible for all firefighting and associated costs.'
