Mount Underwood wildfire causes delays in Bamfield Main Road reopening

In addition to Franklin River Road being closed due to the Mount Underwood wildfire burning between Port Alberni and Bamfield, Bamfield Main Road has also been closed as it has been deemed unsafe. 

Because of the closure of Bamfield Main Road, the BC government is providing assistance to Mosaic Forest Management, the company responsible for the maintenance of the corridor, as they develop a plan to reopen the road. 

Bamfield Main Road is an important corridor for those in the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and area residents to navigate the region. 

“There is substantial work necessary over the coming weeks and months ahead to reopen Bamfield Road,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. 

“Ensuring the safety of the travelling public is the top priority, and the Province will continue to provide technical resources and support to Mosaic throughout this process.”

The Province says that assessments of the corridor determined a section of the Bamfield Road is unsafe for all traffic, prompting Mosaic to close the route with a section of the road being defined as a “No Work Zone” by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS). 

The cause for this closure is due to falling rocks, dangerous trees and a fire-damaged slope that have presented challenging conditions.  

The Province says that there is no timeline for reopening the road in its current configuration, as more technical assessment is needed to develop a plan. 

There is a detour route which takes motorists through to Youbou, and this remains the only available alternative ground route for the time being. 

“We take the safety of road users extremely seriously and there have been multiple geotechnical engineering assessments completed of the current situation,” said D’Arcy Henderson, chief operating officer, Mosaic. 

“Based on initial technical assessments, BC Wildfire Service has determined the road is currently unsafe for all transit. Safety remains our top priority in all decisions.”

Once BCWS has given Mosaic clearance to go back on the lands, additional assessments will be completed, which the Province says will better position the company to determine when slope restoration efforts and road repairs can begin, allowing a timeline to be established.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the primacy of safety that Mosaic has always held close as a core value, and we also want to underline the level of co-operation and communication that they have demonstrated throughout this whole emergency situation,” said John Jack, Chief Councillor of Huu-ay-aht First Nations, and chair of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. 

“While the situation itself is packed with challenges, we look forward to surmounting them with partners such as Mosaic and the provincial government.”

Mosaic is responsible for 15 of the 76 kilometres along Bamfield Main Road.