The only active wild fire on Vancouver Island is currently burning on Green Mountain, southwest of Nanaimo. (BC Wildfire Service)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

FIRST WILDFIRE

Lightning strike responsible for wildfire on Green Mountain

Aug 1, 2020 | 9:09 AM

NANAIMO — After a slow start to the fire season, lightning is being blamed for a large wildfire on Green Mountain.

The Coastal Fire Centre says the blaze broke out on the mountain on Friday, July 31 about 45 kilometres southwest of Nanaimo.

The fire is currently active and is nine hectares in size, an increase from one hectare when it was first reported Friday.

Fire information officer Dorthe Jakobsen told NanaimoNewsNOW the fire is located in a very remote area so accessibility is challenging.

“We have a lot of area support there right now including four helicopters and we have heavy equipment working on the fire to suppress it,” Jakobsen said.

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The blaze is currently the only large scale fire burning on Vancouver Island and one of 39 active fires across the province.

“We knew this lightning storm was coming and we were prepared for it, we had all crews on stand by and ready to roll as quickly as possible,” Jakobsen said.

Parts of the mid-island saw hundreds of lightning strikes during the first major thunderstorm of the season on Friday morning.

On July 24, the Coastal Fire Centre issued a ban for category two and three open fires in most areas including the mid-island however campfires are still permitted.

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