Wesley Ridge wildfire on the north shore of Cameron Lake expands to 511 hectares

The Wesley Ridge wildfire, located along the northeast shore of Cameron Lake, has now expanded to 511 hectares and remains ‘out of control.’

Just last Friday, the wildfire was only 90 hectares in size. 

The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has also upgraded the blaze to a ‘wildfire of note’ over the weekend, marking its severity. It is currently the only wildfire of note within all of BC. 

This wildfire is believed to have been human-caused. 

Update on wildfire response

According to BCWS’s latest update, firefighters are prioritizing this blaze in particular, and putting their efforts toward saving people’s homes and other structures in the area. 

Along with BCWS firefighters, numerous fire departments from across Vancouver Island have been offering their assistance to ensure defense of properties and infrastructure. 

They say that overnight, there was minimal growth overall, and no growth in the northeast corner of the Little Qualicum River Village & Park community. 

Additionally, last night, helicopters equipped with night vision were working to drop water on active areas of the Wesley Ridge wildfire, along the perimeter, to keep the blaze from spreading. 

On Tuesday, August 5th, BCWS said that ground crews will take advantage of the cooler conditions to use direct attack strategies, suppress areas of heat around residences and use water to cool the fire along the northeast edge of the blaze. 

On the southeast corner of the fire, BCWS ground crews are using direct attack strategies to remove fuel from the leading edge of the wildfire, using heavy equipment to build guards in workable terrain. 

One major goal of the response is to prevent growth towards Highway 4 and maintain safe travel along the corridor. 

The biggest challenge at the moment, according to BCWS, is the northwest area of the fire, as it is displaying the most activity,  burning with a low vigour surface fire and some visible flames. 

BCWS says that aircrafts are supporting ground operations, moving crews and dropping water to cool the fire. 

Additionally, there are crews of ‘fallers’ working to assess and cut down dangerous trees, to create a safe and workable environment for those responding.

“The Wesley Ridge fire will continue to produce smoke as the fire consumes fuel on the slopes of the ridge,” write BCWS in a response update. 

In addition to the update on the situation, BCWS wants to remind boaters on Cameron Lake that aircraft responding to the fire need plenty of space to safely and quickly collect water to help fight fires. 

They ask all boaters in an area where active wildfires are present to clear the area and stay near the shore to avoid interfering with firefighting operations.

“Recreational boaters or people using other watercraft who try to get a close-up look at the aircraft present a serious safety risk to air crews, themselves and anyone else in the area,” said BCWS. 

“This behaviour also affects our ability to fight a fire or practice safely, since aircraft cannot collect water when a boat is in the intended flight path.” 

BCWS added that boat wakes can also pose a danger to water scooping aircraft.

Weather conditions

BCWS says that the possibility of light showers in the forecast, followed by cooling temperatures through the week are promising, but also mean that the area around the wildfire will remain smokey for the time being. 

Through the week, temperatures may reach up to 25°C, and conditions are expected to be humid, according to Environment Canada. 

Evacuations

Given the severity and size of the fire, the municipalities surrounding the blaze have issued evacuation orders for several areas around the Wesley Ridge wildfire burn zone. 

Additionally, an evacuation warning has been issued for more areas, just outside the evacuation order zone, just in case the fire spreads. 

Those in the evacuation order zone should have already vacated their homes and workplaces in the area. 

People who live and work in the area of the evacuation warning zone should have a plan for how to get to safety, and know where they should be going. 

Evacuation information can be found online through the BCWS Wesley Ridge wildfire webpage.