4 days ago
Wildfire burning out of control west of Nanaimo, B.C.
Tree branches are seen burning in this image from the BC Wildfire Service (Twitter/@BCGovFireInfo)
Two helicopters and one air tanker are battling an out-of-control wildfire discovered Tuesday west of Nanaimo, B.C.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Labour Day Lake fire, south of the Englishman River, is believed to be caused by human activity.
The fire area measured approximately eight hectares at 3 p.m., according to an update from wildfire officials.
In addition to the aerial firefighting assets, two ground crews were also attacking the flames on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire is currently the only wildfire on Vancouver Island still classified as 'out of control,' after a fire discovered Sunday near Port Alberni was brought under control, according to the wildfire service.
That fire, which consumed an estimated 23.5 hectares of forest near Nahmint Mountain, was also likely human-caused, officials said.
There were 89 wildfires actively burning in B.C. on Tuesday afternoon, including 47 fires classified as out of control.
Among those are an out-of-control blaze near Squamish that prompted the municipality to declare a state of local emergency due to an imminent threat to people and property.
Read more: Evacuation alert issued as crews continue to battle Squamish, B.C., wildfire
The largest wildfire currently burning in the province is the Pocket Knife Creek blaze in the northeast region, which the wildfire service estimated at nearly 1,300 square kilometres.
Wildfire officials say more than three-quarters of the active fires in B.C. – including the Pocket Knife Creek blaze – were sparked by lightning, while less than one-quarter were likely caused by human activity.
