Wesley Ridge fire slows down, as Cameron Lake benefits from rain | Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper

Wesley Ridge fire slows down, as Cameron Lake benefits from rain

Cameron Lake, BC

A forest fire that has been climbing the slope at Cameron Lake benefitted from some rain today, a much-needed natural intervention as crews work through the night to control its spread.

Since it was first spotted on the morning of Thursday, July 31 the Wesley Ridge fire has grown to over 500 hectares. After a few days of rapid growth to the blaze on the north side of Cameron Lake, the BC Wildfire Service reported “minimal growth” overnight on Aug. 4, with much of the 511 hectares affected being a smouldering ground fire with no open flame. 

“The northwest area of the fire is displaying the most activity, burning at Rank 2 (a low vigour surface fire with some visible flame) fire behaviour,” stated the BC Wildfire Service in an update on Aug. 5. “Heavy equipment is establishing guard on the northwest corner and along the northern edge of the fire to prevent the fire from moving to the north, working from the northeast corner to the west.”

Wesley Ridge is currently the only ‘wildfire of note’ in British Columbia, and is still rated ‘out of control’ by the wildfire service. Involvement has intensified as the fire has grown, with 204 personnel working to mitigate the blaze. Resources being used include eight pieces of heavy equipment, small skimmer airplanes, land-based air tankers and seven helicopters hovering over the situation. Helicopters have been working around the clock, with night-vision being employed when it's dark to drop water along the wildfire’s perimeter. 

As the fire has spread, 387 homes and cabins have been evacuated, a widening order that now affects the shore of Cameron Lake as well as the Little Qualicum River Village and the provincial park that are on the other side of the ridge.

The wildfire service has not heard of any homes being destroyed by the fire, while no firefighters have been injured. 

The popular old growth forest of Cathedral Grove has also not been affected.

“Cathedral Grove is not threatened by the Wesley Ridge wildfire,” said Madison Dahl, a fire information officer with the BC Wildfire Service’s Incident Management Team.

Cameron Lake has been closed to recreational boats, while its shores are taped off to ensure the water can be accessed without public interference. Aircraft are also drawing upon Horne Lake, where the boat launch has been closed, and Spider Lake. Users of these lakes are encouraged to stay close to the shore if on the water.

While it was a concern among the many who relied on Highway 4 during the August long weekend, the major route has remained open, although motorists are being urged to not stop to watch the fire from Highway 4.

“It is very proximate to a number of the fronts of the fire, so we ask people keep moving on that route,” said Doug Holmes, emergency operations director at the Regional District of Nanaimo, which includes the area around Cameron Lake.

“Heavy equipment has built guards in workable terrain,” stated the wildfire service. “Ground crews have secured water delivery systems to improve containment and directly action the fire in order to prevent growth towards Highway 4 and maintain safe travel along the Highway 4 corridor.” 

Two years ago another forest fire emerged on the other side of Cameron Lake, a cliffside blaze that sent debris onto the highway. After the Cameron Bluffs wildfire started in early June Highway 4 was completely closed for three weeks, followed by major delays until early September. As Highway 4 is the main land connector for Port Alberni and other communities on western Vancouver Island, this proved to be a major disruption through the summer of 2023. A study by the Alberni-Clayoquot Chambers of Commerce calculated that the economies of Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino suffered $61 million in lost revenue due to the highway closure and delays, as the flow of critical supplies was disrupted and travel to Vancouver Island’s west coast became an unpredictably daunting undertaking. 

The Wesley Ridge fire is believed to be human-caused – not the result of lightning, which is the most common natural origin of a wildfire. Indications from the wildfire’s early spread show the blaze starting near the northeast shore of Cameron Lake, an area that includes an old railway trestle and trail.

The BC Wildfire Service plans to investigate the cause.

“It is currently under investigation, investigations like this take time and they are long and extensive to make sure that they are done right,” said Dahl.

Ninety-five percent of forest fires in B.C. are human caused, according to the provincial agency.

“Investigations may be carried out by one or more agencies, including the BC Wildfire Service, the Compliance and Enforcement Branch, the RCMP, or other law enforcement agencies, and may be cross jurisdictional,” noted the wildfire service.    

To report smoke or fires, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 or through the BCWS mobile app on your smart device. 

For up-to-date information about driving conditions, visit: https://www.drivebc.ca/.

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