Cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and around 6.6 millimetres of rainfall overnight Thursday have helped slow the spread of the Mount Underwood wildfire, with minimal growth recorded overnight. (BC Wildfire Service)

By Jordan Davidson

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PORT ALBERNI — Cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and a long-awaited rain storm all converged to reduce the spread of the Mount Underwood wildfire.

Burning in elevated and forested terrain south of Port Alberni, the wildfire remains at 3,406 hectares in size as of Friday, Aug. 15, but remains out of control and is the only wildfire of note in the province.

Information officer with the BC Wildfire Service Karley Desrosiers said smoke and fog caused reduced visibility, making an updated fire size on Friday not possible.

However, she noted the fire’s growth has been minimal since the day before.

“We started to get rain around 3:00 p.m. (Aug. 14), which really helped moderate fire behaviour. We saw limited fire behaviour and limited growth, especially in those areas where in previous days, we had seen quite aggressive fire activity, specifically in the north.”

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She said the wildfire’s northern perimeter is around 8 kilometres away from the southern boundaries of Port Alberni, with over 17 millimetres of rain falling in the area in the last 24 hours.

With another 10-30 millimetres of rain expected on Friday, Desrosiers said these next few days will be crucial.

“Today (Friday) will likely be the most rain we’ll receive throughout this four-day rain event, but even in the coming days, we’re expecting a little bit more. Ultimately, the amount of rain we get over this four to five-day period will determine the long-term trajectory of this fire and what it will ultimately take to get this fire to ‘being held’ and then ‘under control’ status.”

Rain helped fire crews enter areas which were previously too dangerous, mainly in the northwest corner and near the China Creek Campground, Desrosiers told a media briefing.

The Mount Underwood fire exploded in size between Wednesday and Thursday during unfavourable weather, with high winds increasing the size of the blaze by roughly 1,200 hectares in just 24 hours.

BC Hydro crews were finally given the green light on Friday to go into the area near Bamfield to assess wildfire damage to their equipment, with the community of Bamfield left without power since Aug. 11.

There have been no reports of injuries or structural damage related to the Mount Underwood fire, and while the exact cause remains under investigation, Desrosiers said it’s suspected to be human-caused.

Several evacuation orders and alerts have been issued since the fire was reported on the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 11, with no changes to the orders as of Friday.

A special air quality statement remains in effect for the Oceanside area and Port Alberni.

Information on evacuations are available from the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District and City of Port Alberni.

Updates on the Mount Underwood fire from the BCWS can be found here.

Meanwhile, the Wesley Ridge wildfire north of Cameron Lake remains at 588 hectares and is still categorized as ‘being held’, with around eight millimetres of rain falling overnight Thursday in the area.

Thirty-five properties remain on evacuation order, and 268 properties are on evacuation alert as a result of the Wesley Ridge fire, according to the Regional District of Nanaimo.

– with files from The Canadian Press.

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