Flames and smoke extend from the Cameron Bluffs wildfire along Hwy. 4, impacting travel and prompting an expanded response from Coastal Fire Centre crews. (BC Wildfire Service)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

wildfire of note

Cameron Lake wildfire grows considerably during windy day as campfire ban slated to start

Jun 6, 2023 | 4:59 PM

NANAIMO — Another day of gusty winds topping 50 kilometres per hour, clear skies and hot sun as led to considerable growth of a wildfire burning on the central Island.

The Cameron Bluffs wildfire, in the hills above Cameron Lake, is an estimated 109 hectares in size according to the Coastal Fire Centre on Tuesday,. It measured just 25 hectares overnight.

Fire information officer Kimberly Kelly told NanaimoNewsNOW they’re devoting considerable resources to the situation.

“Crews are working on direct attack objectives. Some of the fire is on steep terrain, so we have three helicopters bucketing in inaccessible areas. We have also had air tankers and skimmers assigned to this incident, so we are having a full suppression attack both from air and on the ground.”

The fire is believed to be human caused, however an exact ignition point is still under investigation.

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It is also considered a rank two fire, meaning it is showing visible open flame but progressing at a slow rate of speed.

Conditions in the region have not aided firefighting efforts, providing little in the way of a barrier for the fire to spread.

“The entire Coastal Fire Centre with the exception of the Haida Gwaii Fire District is in a moderate to high fire danger rating, so the fuels out there are dry and will continue to dry until we see a considerable amount of rainfall,” Kelly added.

The Cameron Bluffs wildfire now measures 109 hectares in size and continues to burn out of control. (BC Wildfire Service)

Traffic along Hwy. 4 has been affected by the fire.

Oceanside and Port Alberni RCMP closed the roadway either side of Cameron Lake at the request of BC Wildfire Service personnel for around 45 minutes late Tuesday morning before re-opening to single lane alternating traffic shortly after noon.

DriveBC reports intermittent closures should be expected for travellers, with traffic heading west backing up to Coombs late Tuesday afternoon.

To further complicate driving in the area, rocks were reported along Hwy. 4 in Cathedral Grove by DriveBC.

The Coastal Fire Centre has also made the decision to implement a full campfire ban, effective 12 p.m. on Thursday, June 8.

It means all open flame will be banned for Vancouver Island, following a more specialized fire ban was put in place in mid-May.

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