Motorists are being asked to be cautious when travelling near Cameron Bluffs, west of Highway 4, where firefighters are battling an out-of-control wildfire.
The wildfire is in steep terrain and is “highly visible” from Highway 4 at Cameron Lake, said the B.C. Wildfire Service.
Neither the highway nor Cameron Lake resort areas are believed to be under threat from the fire, and the Arrowsmith CPR regional trail was still open as of Monday morning.
Two helicopters with water buckets are assisting ground crews, and boaters on Cameron Lake are being asked to stay clear when helicopters are dipping their buckets into the lake.
The Cameron Bluffs wildfire, first reported on Saturday night at 11:52 p.m., is suspected of being human-caused. As of Monday, the fire size is estimated to be around 20 hectares. The fire grew overnight due to wind and an additional helicopter was assigned on Monday, the B.C. Wildfire Service said.
Meanwhile, the largest wildfire on Vancouver Island, near the north Island community of Sayward, is no longer deemed out of control. It has been held at about 208 hectares since Friday.
Crews are suppressing 80 per cent of the fire, said Coastal Fire Centre information officer Kimberly Kelly, with the remaining 20 per cent on the eastern flank burning on extreme slopes.
“Crews are developing alternative containment strategies and contingency lines are being planned,” she said, adding there is no risk to lives, structures or any critical infrastructure.
A fire south of Nanaimo discovered late Sunday night was deemed under control by Monday morning due to suppression efforts by the B.C. Wildfire Service, with assistance from the Cranberry Fire Department. The fire is suspected to have been human-caused, and an investigation is underway.
With the fire-danger rating moderate to high for the Coastal Fire Centre region, the public is asked to use extreme caution with any campfires or cigarette butts, Kelly said.
