Pilot vehicles line up to guide commercial vehicles through the Hwy. 4 detour due to the Cameron Bluffs wildfire. (Ministry of Transportation/Flickr)

By Jordan Davidson

fire update

Rain aids Cameron Bluffs wildfire as detour route gives essential good carriers priority

Jun 12, 2023 | 11:32 AM

NANAIMO — Crews continue to hold the Cameron Bluffs wildfire from spreading.

The wildfire has been burning since June 3 and remains out of control, increasing from 208 hectares in size on Friday, June 9 to 254 hectares the morning of Monday, June 12.

Despite the increase in hectares, fire information officer for the Cameron Bluffs wildfire Noelle Kekula said the change is due to reduced smoke in the area allowing for better mapping of the fire’s size.

“We could see with the rain it reduced the amount of smoke on the fire so we were able to track a more accurate permitter of the fire, so that is more as a result of the change in the size of the fire rather than growth from the fire itself.”

Four helicopters, 10 pieces of heavy equipment, and 76 personnel, including an incident management team are still on scene battling the fire above the southwest side of Cameron Lake as of Monday morning.

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One firefighter battling the blaze was also injured on Saturday and was taken from the scene by ambulance in stable condition, Kekula told NanaimoNewsNOW.

“A full investigation is being conducted between BC Wildfire and WorkSafeBC regarding this incident, and we’re unable to provide any further information due to patient confidentiality and just respect for the privacy of the individual and the family.”

The fire has caused significant traffic turmoil as a detour around Hwy. 4 between Port Alberni and eastern Vancouver Island was set up last week.

The detour was then temporarily closed on Friday, June 9 to allow emergency vehicles to remove a crashed vehicle from Francis Lake.

The minister of transportation reported the detour was reopened later that evening, and began piloted convoys of commercial vehicles on June 11, to ensure the delivery of essential goods like food and fuel.

The pilot-led departure times leave daily from Port Alberni and 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., while it departs Lake Cowichan at 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Checkpoints are also in place along the route to provide more information for travellers and they can be found here.

For all up-to-date information about road conditions, go to DriveBC.ca.

The province said in a news release on June 12 there is currently no estimated time for when Hwy. 4 will reopen.

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