A neighbourhood at the southern end of Port Alberni has been put under evacuation alert, as the Mount Underwood wildfire has grown to over 2,000 hectares in less than two days.
Issued by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District Emergency Operations Centre, the alert is not an order for people to evacuate, but serves as a warning for Cameron Heights residents to prepare for this possibility in case the situation worsens. This evacuation alert also applies to those on a Tseshaht reserve at the southern end of Port Alberni, which includes Polly’s Point.
“Due to a change in wind direction and increased fire activity on the Mount Underwood Wildfire, the ACRD Emergency Operations Centre has issued an Evacuation Alert to include all of Frankin River Road, Tseshaht Reserve No.2 (Tiipis also known as Polly’s Point), and Cameron Heights,” stated the ACRD in an update. “We have been advised that smoke may come to Port Alberni, however this is not an indication that the fire is getting closer.”
After it was first spotted at approximately 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, the Mount Underwood wildlife has grown at an explosive rate, and sent a mushroom cloud of smoke above the Alberni Inlet. The nearby China Creek Campground and Marina was evacuated, as the blaze raced along the mountainous slope. By 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13 the fire had grown to 2,156 hectares.
“We’ve been through a lot of difficult situations in this area, but none like this,” said Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions during a press conference on Aug. 12.
Minions added that the city is “not in imminent danger,” but encouraged residents to have essentials ready if any evacuation orders are given.
“We want people to always be prepared for a possible evacuation,” she said.
On Wednesday the BC Wildfire Service reported that it has three initial attack crews and three unit crews fighting the wildfire, totalling over 70 personnel. The wildfire service also has five helicopters, five water skimmer airplanes and one birddog air taker responding, plus a heavy equipment task force.
The road from Port Alberni to Bamfield has been closed, while Bamfield and Anacla have been without power since the evening that the wildfire emerged. Residents of these Barkley Sound communities are encouraged to use the logging roads to Youbou and Lake Cowichan, but only for essential purposes.
“With only one safe route accessible through the back road from Bamfield to Youbou, we encourage visitors to plan to return home, while it is still safe and possible. We kindly ask that no additional visitors come into the area to avoid adding pressure on our limited resources,” stated the Huu-ay-aht First Nations in a public notice. “The Pachena Bay Campground is not evacuating current visitors, however, we are monitoring the situation and resources closely.”
Meanwhile a palpable current of anxiety ran through the Port Alberni community, as the valley filled with smoke on Wednesday. In the morning the city’s air quality index measured 29 fine particles per cubic metre, above the level of 25 that the province sets as the standard volume of contaminants in the atmosphere. The average over the previous 24-hour period was 7.12. While the level of fine particles peaked on Wednesday morning, it was significantly lower than the 55 fine particles per cubic metre tracked on Aug. 4, as another wildfire burned on the north side of Cameron Lake.
Those with underlying health conditions are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activity if they experience breathing problems.
