Crews are battling a wildfire that sparked on northern Vancouver Island Wednesday night and has now grown to 20 hectares in size.
The blaze is burning just north of Nimpkish Lake Provincial Park and about 15 kilometres south of Port McNeill.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, 35 firefighters and three fire officers have been deployed on the ground while three helicopters are bucketing water onto the fire.
An air tanker was also en route to assist crews.
Fire information officers say the wildfire is believed to have been caused by humans.
Earlier in the day, the fire was reported as 15 hectares in size but was later upgraded to 20 hectares, making it the third-largest wildfire currently burning in the province.
The fire risk for most of Vancouver Island is currently rated as "high," with an area near the Comox Valley listed as "extreme."
Two other fires burning on South Island
The Nimpkish blaze comes just as the province enacted a sweeping campfire ban for B.C.’s South Coast due to persistent hot, dry weather in the region.
Meanwhile, the BC Wildfire service said a 1.2-hectare blaze on a mountainside near Sooke was 100 per cent contained as of Thursday afternoon.
The blaze is now in the mop-up phase and officials sad it would be turned over to CRD Parks crews later Thursday night or early Friday morning.
Officials were also investigating a small spot fire in Shawnigan Lake that was believed to be person-caused, but said it did not require a large response.
