PORT ALBERNI, B.C (Richa Walia): A fast-moving wildfire south of Port Alberni is exhibiting “unusual” and highly aggressive behaviour for Vancouver Island, prompting multiple evacuation orders and states of local emergency.
The fire, discovered Monday evening around 6:30 p.m., exploded to 600 hectares within hours and has since expanded to more than 20 square kilometres. According to B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Karley Desrosiers, such rapid growth is rare not only for the Island but across the province.
“This kind of escalation in such a short time frame is significant,” Desrosiers said Wednesday, noting that a combination of drought conditions and strong winds helped drive the flames in the initial stages.
The blaze, situated about 12 kilometres south of Port Alberni on the east side of Alberni Inlet, is not currently threatening the communities of Port Alberni, Bamfield, or Youbou. Crews are concentrating on the northern flank — the side closest to Port Alberni — where they are removing fuel sources, laying hose lines, and constructing fire guards.
Evacuations and Alerts
The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, the City of Port Alberni, and the Tseshaht First Nation have declared local emergencies. Evacuation orders cover areas between Port Alberni and Bamfield on the inlet’s east side, along with an adjacent zone under the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s jurisdiction. About 200 homes are on evacuation alert, including parts of a Tseshaht reserve and neighbourhoods on Port Alberni’s southwest edge.
B.C.’s Emergency Management Ministry reports fewer than 10 properties are directly under evacuation orders.
First-Hand Accounts
Local photographer and videographer Colby Rex O’Neill described the fire as “explosive” after heading out to capture images on Monday night instead of the meteor shower he had planned to shoot.
“The entire mountain was engulfed in less than 30 hours,” O’Neill said. “Fir trees would resist burning, then suddenly ignite and flare like giant candles.”
Heavy smoke has been drifting over the area, making visibility and air quality a concern.
Fire Behaviour and Conditions
The wildfire has been rated between rank four and five on the six-level fire behaviour scale — a level associated with torching trees, intense surface fires, and, at times, active crown fires. Desrosiers said this intensity is “unusual” for Vancouver Island and attributes it to the extended drought since May.
Forecasted rain and higher humidity could help moderate fire activity, but officials caution that it will take prolonged, heavy precipitation to truly dampen the dry fuels feeding the blaze.
Travel and Power Disruptions
The main road between Port Alberni and Bamfield remains closed, with only a rugged logging route through Youbou available. Bamfield has lost power, and officials are asking visitors to avoid the community for now.
While the 75-kilometre West Coast Trail remains open, Parks Canada has stopped taking new bookings for both the trail and nearby Keeha Beach. Hikers may be asked to exit midway at Nitinaht Narrows if conditions worsen, where buses will transport them back to their vehicles.
Authorities say firefighting efforts will remain focused on containment, with the hope that cooler, wetter conditions later in the week will aid in slowing the blaze’s spread.
