Twelve days after it was first reported, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has classified the Wesley Ridge wildfire at Cameron Lake as being held, according to a Monday, Aug. 11 update.
BCWS says there was no growth on the Wesley Ridge wildfire yesterday.
“The fire displayed mostly Rank 1 fire behaviour, which is a smouldering ground fire with no open flame. There were isolated pockets of Rank 2, which is a low-vigour surface fire with some visible flame and Rank 3, which is a moderately vigorous surface fire with visible flame,” states BCWS.
Evacuation orders for 257 properties in Little Qualicum River Village were also downgraded to an Evacuation Alert.
Douglas Holmes, the Regional District of Nanaimo’s chief administrative officer and emergency operations director, said while it’s still a day-to-day situation, things are trending in a positive way.
“Thank you everyone involved, in particularly the front-line firefighters both in the forest and those people protecting the structures. You’ve done amazing, heroic work and all the people supporting our evacuees from the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you,” said Holmes in an Aug. 11 media update.
The remaining 37 properties in Little Qualicum River Village above 1726 Warn Way remain on Evacuation Order. The 353 properties that were already on alert below 1726 Warn Way and near the Spider Lake area remain on Evacuation Alert.
Holmes said they are working in co-ordination with BC Parks and BCWS to get areas that are closed open as soon as possible.
The boat launch at Horne Lake Regional Park remains closed, Little Qualicum River Regional Park is closed as a precautionary measure and the day-use area at Cameron Lake is closed.
“In regards to the use of the lake, we are still using it for wildfire suppression activities and this goes for any lake in the area. If you are using a lake, if it is open, and you see wildfire suppression aircraft coming in, please move to shore. Allow them space to work. If you are in their area, if you are in their way, they can’t work and it does hamper their ability,” said BCWS fire information officer Madison Dahl.
With temperatures pushing over 30°C in Port Alberni over the next couple of days, heat advisories have been given to crews working on the Wesley Ridge wildfire.
“The outlook is for hot and dry conditions to persist until Wednesday, when we will see a shift back to more seasonal temperatures. The current high-pressure ridge will break down Thursday and Friday, bringing the potential for some much-welcomed precipitation,” says BCWS.
“I would add, that it is very hot out, but we are very fortunate to have a number of lakes available to us including lakes like Sproat Lake,” said Holmes, “if you can find a public access to the ocean, please consider other alternatives in this time while we focus on firefighting efforts.”
BCWS re-iterated that “boats in sight delay our flight”, and interference with firefighting operations is not only dangerous, it also violates the Wildfire Act.
“Recreational boaters or people using other watercraft who try to get a close-up look at the aircraft present a serious safety risk to air crews, themselves and anyone else in the area. This behaviour also affects our ability to fight a fire or practice safely, since aircraft cannot collect water when a boat is in the intended flight path. Boat wakes can also pose a danger to water scooping aircraft,” explained BCWS.
