A new wildfire has been discovered on Vancouver Island this week, just shortly after the Coastal Fire Centre ended the ban on campfires.
This wildfire was discovered on Tuesday, September 10th and is deemed to be ‘out of control’ by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), meaning it is spreading or is anticipated to spread beyond its current perimeter.
The wildfire is located approximately 20 kilometres north of Cowichan Lake and around 40 kilometres southwest of Nanaimo.
Specifically, it is burning on the western edge of Fourth Lake.
Since it was discovered, the blaze has spread to around two hectares.
According to the BCWS, this wildfire was reported at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
Initial attack crews were reportedly sent immediately to the area and worked the fire overnight.
Related:
The fire burns on a ‘slash block’ waiting to be logged and harvested by Mosaic Forest Management, the owner of this land.
BCWS says they are working and communicating closely with Mosaic regarding the fire’s suppression.
Currently, crews are working on using heavy machinery to build a guard around the perimeter of the fire.
This fire is thought to be human caused, according to the BCWS.
Fines for starting a wildfire in BC can range between $100,000 and $1 million, along with a potential one year sentence in prison.
As of this publication, there are 215 active wildfires within BC.
On Thursday, September 12th, the Province and BCWS will be providing a live update on the state of BC’s wildfire season, and how it compares to past years.
This presentation will be streamed live from BCWS’s YouTube page at 10:45 a.m.
