An out-of-control 70-hectare wildfire northwest of Ladysmith prompted Cowichan Valley Regional District to declare a state of local emergency and issue an evacuation alert for 20 properties on Friday.
The fire grew from four to 20 hectares in three hours on Thursday and spread overnight in the steep terrain due to strong, gusty winds and extremely dry forest conditions.
It was burning on the east side of Mount Hayes, about 41/2 kilometres northwest of Ladysmith and a few kilometres west of the Trans-Canada Highway.
“The growth is down-slope and away from structures, so it’s not posing an imminent threat to any structures, and it’s moving southwest away from Ladysmith,” said Coastal Fire Centre information officer Donna McPherson.
By late afternoon Friday, the winds had died down a little and the wildfire was described as a moderate ground fire.
An evacuation order was issued by the district for the Fortis B.C. liquefied natural gas facility on Ninatti Road.
“What they’re doing is restricting access to essential workers only,” McPherson said.
“The fire isn’t threatening the Fortis plant at this point, but after discussion with wildfire [officials] that was what local government decided to do.”
At 12:30 p.m., the CVRD joined with the Regional District of Nanaimo and Emergency Operations Centre in issuing an evacuation alert for 20 properties on Ivey, Takala and David roads, west of Cedar. An evacuation order for the Bush Creek Fish Hatchery was issued later.
On Thursday, 28 horses were moved from a Takala Road property as a precaution, said Brenda Hanna, a member of the the Vancouver Island Emergency Horse/Animal/Livestock Evacuation.
“They went to assorted places,” Hanna said. “There were quite a few trailers. I took three, seven went into Cedar and some are at other areas.”
Her group is ready to do more now that the evacuation alert is in place, she said. “We are standing by.”
Hanna can be reached at 250-616-5858.
Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone said it wasn’t smoky in town Friday.
He noted that the Island has avoided a large-scale fire problem so far this year.
“We always watch the wildfires with horror in the Interior,” he said.
Stone praised the people fighting the local blaze.
“It’s obviously concerning to everyone,” he said. “Despite the growth, we’re thankful that it seems to be migrating away from people and the important infrastructure.”
An “area restriction” was issued around the fire by the B.C. Wildfire Service, which restricts access to forestry roads. The public is advised to stay away from the Cowichan Valley Regional Trail in the Christie Falls area,
Nanaimo Airport chief executive Dave Devana said smoke from the fire led to the cancellation of 10 flights on Friday that would have serviced Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
“Transport Canada has issued a notice restricting the airspace between sunset and sunrise,” he said.
“I know the airlines are still planning to fly after sunset and before sunrise to deal with some of their customers.”
The firefighting crew on site was increased from 10 to 30. They were supported by seven pieces of heavy equipment, five helicopters, two water tenders — trucks carrying water tanks — and air tankers.
The CVRD Regional Emergency Operations Centre is maintaining contact with municipal fire crews, the Town of Ladysmith and the Stz’uminus First Nation.
Other fires on Vancouver Island include one at Copper Canyon, near Duncan, which is under control, and a small one near Telegraph Cove.
— Jeff Bell
Earlier story
An out-of-control wildlife, fuelled by gusty winds and dry forest fuels, is burning northwest of Ladysmith. It grew from four hectares to 20 hectares in three hours.
First reports of the fire, a few kilometres west of the Trans Canada Highway and east of Mount Hayes, came in early Thursday afternoon.
“It’s moving generally westward, away from Ladysmith,” Coastal Fire Centre information officer Gordon Robinson said Thursday evening. “This part of the Island is in extreme fire danger right now.”
No structures are threatened by the blaze, but a natural gas facility is in the path of the wildfire, a couple of kilometres to the west.
Ten B.C. Wildfire firefighters, eight contract firefighters, two excavators, two water tenders — big tanks of water on a truck — four helicopters, air tankers and a spotting plane for the air tankers, are battling the fire.
No evacuation orders or alerts are in place now, but it’s possible they could be brought into effect depending on the direction and growth of the fire, Robinson said. “If the winds shift to coming out of the west, we could see growth in the direction of Ladysmith and that could trigger evacuation orders.”
People should be alert and watching for evacuation alerts from the Cowichan Valley Regional District, said Robinson.
“If that alert comes, that’s the time to have yourself all packed and ready to go. If you only have one dose left of your medication, it would be a good idea to refill it. But we’re not at the point where it’s have your bag packed and the car idling,” he said.
The Mount Hayes fire is not as big as the 32-hectare Copper Canyon fire near Duncan. Crews are still working on that wildfire, but it is considered to be under control. Mount Hayes is the only out-of-control fire on the Island, said Robinson.
There is also a small blaze in the vicinity of Telegraph Cove.
— Louise Dickson with files from Jeff Bell
