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Smoke from wildfire near Sayward blanketing Nanaimo & Oceanside
NANAIMO — A smoky haze is covering much of Vancouver Island, stemming from an out-of-control wildfire up north.
The Newcastle Creek wildfire, about five kilometres west of Sayward, sparked around 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May 29, and is believed to be human-caused. It’s sent smoke high into the air which has drifted with the prevailing winds down Island.
Julia Caranci, information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, said winds helped grow the fire, estimated to be about 90 hectares.
“It’s out of control. We are expecting cooler temperatures and higher humidity over the next two days, so that’s good news for us. The Town [of Sayward] is being impacted by smoke from this fire, as are other parts of the Island. It is burning in the direction that is generally parallel to the community of Sayward.”