B.C. wildfire crews continue to battle the Wesley Ridge wildfire at Cameron Lake, with personnel prioritizing the protection of those who live nearby.
Crews are providing “24-hour wildfire operations” on the blaze that measures 389 hectares, according to the latest update on the BC Wildfire Service website.
“Today, August 3, operations will continue to prioritize protection of residences, values and critical infrastructure,” the update reads.
It says the fire is burning out of control, which means it’s spreading or anticipated to spread “beyond the current perimeter, or control line.”
In total, 142 personnel are responding, notes BCWS information officer Madison Dahl.
The website says 67 firefighters are on scene, along with seven aircraft and as many pieces of heavy equipment.
Dahl says forecast rain will offer relief to the fire fight.
“Today, we continue to see a return to seasonal temperatures and small recoveries for the minimum RH (relative humidity) values through the weekend. This pattern is slowly changing, so the area doesn’t have any sudden or dynamic weather features that change conditions this weekend, other than cooler temperatures,” she said Sunday.
“We’re going to continue to stay dry for the next few days. Overnight, the winds have been quite variable … they do remain light, though,” added Dahl.
“We may see some rain to arrive on Wednesday. We will require a significant amount of rainfall to make significant changes to the fire behaviour.”
SATURDAY STORY: Wesley Ridge wildfire spreads to 389 hectares Saturday evening
Overnight, ground crews used a direct attack to cool the fire in all wildland-urban interface areas, the BCWS says, but the south edge of the fire along the lake is “burning in inaccessible and challenging terrain,” where there’s ample timber.
“It will continue to produce smoke as the fire consumes fuel on the slopes of Wesley Ridge,” it says. Fire departments from across Vancouver Island are responding, with defence task forces “focused on the protection of properties and infrastructure…”
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Wesley Ridge wildfire photo by Colby Rex O’Neill. (Facebook)
‘It’s just really surreal’
Local photographer Colby Rex O’Neill says he hasn’t been able to sleep at night as the fire burns not far from his house.
“At nighttime, I’m restless and wondering if it’s spreading,” he said Sunday, adding that he’s been going out when it’s dark and snapping photos of the fire.
“The dramatic images help raise awareness. It doesn’t look like that to the naked eye,” O’Neill told CHEK News, “but it feels like it.”
The fire was discovered on July 31, and it’s believed to be human-caused, though such investigations “often take time and can be very complex,” the BCWS says.
On Saturday afternoon, more residents were forced to evacuate their homes after the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) expanded an evacuation order to include additional properties in the Little Qualicum Village area, as well as Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park and the north side of Cameron Lake.
That means 393 properties are under an evacuation order, and the RDN says a reception centre at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones St., is open 24/7 for evacuees.
Evacuation order (red); evacuation alert (yellow).
A few hours later, additional properties in the Little Qualicum River Village area were included in the RDN’s evacuation alert, meaning “anyone in this area must be ready to leave on short notice,” according to the EmergencyInfoBC website.
Around 4:40 p.m. Saturday, “there (were) no reported homes lost from responding agencies on the ground,” RDN spokesperson Rebecca Taylor said.
Neither BCWS nor the RDN were able to provide an update on potential property damage Sunday morning.
O’Neill’s property is one of the 238 on alert.
“It’s just really surreal,” he said.
“I didn’t expect it to happen again after one happened there two years ago. This is like 10 times worse. The last one seemed more intense; it closed down the highway. But that fire was small in comparison,” added O’Neill.
“It wasn’t nearly as close to our house. I’m a little numb to it, I guess.”
2023 STORY: Firefighter injured, businesses struggle as Cameron Bluffs wildfire keeps highway closed
Highway 4 still open, but drivers should use caution
Highways 4 and 19 remain open, according to DriveBC, and Douglas Holmes with the RDN is urging commuters to drive to conditions and not stop along the roads.
DriveBC says there is “limited visibility due to smoke.”
The BCWS on Sunday says large-scale water delivery systems are being established, and heavy equipment is working to create control lines in workable ground.
“Aircraft will continue water delivery to cool the fire, creating a safer working environment for ground crews,” the wildfire service said.
It’s reminding the public that Cameron Lake is currently closed to all recreational watercraft, “to allow for safe skimming and bucketing operations.” The BCWS says it’s working closely with the RDN, as well as the Coombs and Dashwood fire departments.
Horne Lake and Spider Lake are also being used for bucketing, the RDN says.
“The operation of drones near an active wildfire is illegal and extremely dangerous, especially when low-flying firefighting aircraft are present. Transport Canada and the BC Wildfire Service explicitly prohibit the use of drones of any size near a wildfire,” the update reads. “Violating these rules jeopardizes the lives of aircrews and those on the ground and could interfere with fire suppression activities.”
Check the BCWS website for updates. The RDN posts evacuation order/alert notices here. Find the latest driving conditions on the DriveBC website.
Wesley Ridge wildfire photo by Colby Rex O’Neill. (Facebook)