The Regional District of Nanaimo lifted the evacuation orders for 35 properties and the evacuation alert for 268 properties over the weekend for those affected by the Wesley Ridge wildfire north of Cameron Lake, with progress made on the Mount Underwood wildfire south of Port Alberni.  (BC Wildfire Service)

By Jordan Davidson

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Wesley Ridge wildfire now ‘under control’, evacuees returning home

Aug 18, 2025 | 12:20 PM

PARKSVILLE — Firefighters on Vancouver Island have gained the upper hand on one wildfire, while another remains burning out of control, with significant progress made in reducing its spread.

The Wesley Ridge wildfire north of Cameron Lake, burning since July 31, is now considered ‘under control’ as of Saturday, Aug. 16, at 588 hectares in size, with all remaining evacuation orders and alerts lifted within the Regional District of Nanaimo.

Meanwhile, Kiah Allen with the BC Wildfire Service said members are continuing to focus on the northern and western flanks of the Mount Underwood wildfire, still burning out of control about 15 kilometres south of Port Alberni.

“These flanks are the closest to our priority values, which include the community of Port Alberni to the north, as well as a number of values to the west along the inlet.”

The Mount Underwood wildfire remains at 3,671 hectares in size as of Monday, Aug. 18, with cooler weather and some rain helping to hold fire growth to just over 200 hectares since Friday.

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Allen said they were able to take advantage of the change in weather conditions last week, allowing crews to get on the ground to assess affected areas.

“We were…able to make a lot of ground to secure the perimeter while we had this window before the weather turns around and becomes hot and hot and dry again, as per seasonal conditions.”

Environment Canada is calling for a chance of more showers in the area until Tuesday, but clear skies and daytime highs in the upper 20s and low 30s are expected by Thursday for Port Alberni.

Weekend rain and a shift in wind directions helped clear out the smoke caused by Vancouver Island wildfire, with no air quality advisories in place as of Aug. 18. (BC Wildfire Service)

The Mount Underwood fire exploded in size last week amid hot and dry conditions, with high winds increasing the blaze’s size 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 left without power since Aug. 11.

By Monday, BC Hydro said more than 500 customers in the area are still without electricity.

They’re estimating it could take up to two weeks to make the repairs in an area covering around six kilometres with steep terrain.

There have been no reports of injuries or structural damage related to the Mount Underwood fire, and while the exact cause remains under investigation, officials with the BC Wildfire Service 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 over the following week.

— With files from Bill Nation 97.3 The Eagle

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