A human-caused wildfire burning west of Nanaimo has grown to an estimated 6.5 hectares in size, but crews are hoping to get a better view of the blaze today.
The private forestry land where it’s burning is full of plenty of debris including felled and bucked timber, according to the BC Wildfire Management Branch.
Today an aerial crew will attempt to map the fire, located seven kilometres west of Boomerang Lake.
Forty-one crew members are involved in the effort, and a bucket helicopter is on standby in case its needed.
The fire is about 70 per cent contained, and no structures or homes are threatened.
Coastal Fire Centre information officer Marg Drysdale says it could have been worse if the fire wasn’t reported quickly by the public on Saturday afternoon.
She confirmed the fire was not sparked by lightning, and police believe it to be human-caused. An investigation into the cause is ongoing.
All open fires not including campfires are currently banned in the Coastal Fire Region, with the exception of western Vancouver Island’s “fog zone.”
