UPDATE: 2:50 p.m.
As the fire has grown to 60 hectares, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has put in place evacuation orders for areas north of Cameron Lake. Those in under evacuation orders are in areas that may be at risk and are instructed to leave the area immediately. The areas under evacuation order area include Chalet Road NEAR Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park (but not the park) at Cameron Lake. Residents who are impacted are being contacted directly.
Zone F1 in Electoral Area F of the RDN has been placed under evacuation alert, those under evacuation alert should be prepared to leave on short notice.
ORIGINAL:
Harry Watts was driving to work along Highway 4 before 5 a.m. Thursday when he saw a fire burning up the bluff on the backside of Cameron Lake, by Wesley Ridge.
Watts stopped at a pullout to call in the fire to emergency services, then he took some photos and video. "I pulled over at Cameron Lake on my way to work," he says in a video posted to social media. "There's a fire at the other side of the lake."
Watts called *5555 to report the fire and was assured that BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) had received several calls about it through the night. The fire has been added to the BC Wildfire map as the Wesley Ridge Fire (V71145) and was initially listed as one hectare, but grew to 20 hectares before daylight.
The fire is located across the lake from Angel Rock on Highway 4 and is near the site of a previous forest fire several years ago. Tourist Julia Scott, visiting from the United Kingdom, said she was going to Cathedral Grove when she saw the smoke and flames. "They're incredibly resourceful," she said of the firefighters working the fire at the time. Conair had at least one tanker dropping retardant or water on the fire.
BCWS has 40 firefighting resources responding to the blaze with helicopters and air tankers supporting the effort to put the fire under control. The fire is burning aggressively in difficult to access terrain, BCWS says. Witnesses said the fire is burning close to an area that was hit with another forest fire a few years ago.
Both the Coombs and Dashwood fire departments are responding to the blaze and are being supported by RCMP.
BCWS says there is no imminent threat to "values," which usually means structures or highways.
The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce said while there is currently no threat to the highway, they understand people may have concerns.
"The 2023 closure is still fresh in many of our minds on how quickly things can change and how deeply it impacted our region," an email from chamber CEO Jolleen Dick says. "While Highway 4 remains open and there's no current threat to the road, we know some of you may already be getting questions or feeling that familiar uncertainty."
Dick's email adds the Visitor Centre is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is ready to support travellers who may need help navigating the fire situation and may extend its hours to that end.
Alberni-Clayoquat Regional District (ACRD) has activated an emergency operations centre and is monitoring the situation, a social media post from the ACRD says.
Travellers along Highway 4 are asked to stay focused on the road and maintain the flow of traffic as wildfire crews are working in the area. Follow DriveBC.ca for up to date traffic information.
The fire is believed to be human caused, according to the BCWS.
This is a developing story and we will add more details as they become available.
