Crews with BC Wildfire Service are working to extinguish two suspicious brush fires west of Rogers Creek in Port Alberni.
The fires were discovered on Monday morning (June 26) and are both “very small,” says Coastal Fire Centre fire information officer Sam Bellion. One is listed at 0.2 hectares and the other is estimated to be 0.009 hectares.
Bellion says there are two BC Wildfire crews on scene, as well as a helicopter with a Bambi bucket. Both fires are being held, which means they are not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under current conditions.
“Based on the size and the wildfire activity, we expect that we will be able to effectively suppress both fires,” Bellion said.
The Port Alberni Fire Department noted on its Facebook page that it is aware of “two separate fires” burning in the area, but the fires are outside of the City of Port Alberni’s municipal protection area. According to PAFD, there is “no risk to any structures at this time.”
The fires are suspected to be human-caused and are suspicious, said Bellion. A natural resource officer with BC Wildfire Service is also on scene to investigate the cause.
East of Port Alberni, the Cameron Bluffs wildfire continues to burn, although it is now considered under control. Highway 4 has been re-opened to single-lane alternating traffic, although the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure warns that the situation “remains dynamic” and the highway could be closed unexpectedly due to weather conditions at the site.
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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