Wildfire burning out of control near Port Alberni reaches 20 hectares
A wildfire that has been burning out of control on Vancouver Island since Sunday morning is now estimated to cover approximately 20 hectares of dense forest near Port Alberni.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says the Cameron Bluffs fire was discovered around 6 a.m. Sunday when it measured less than half a hectare on the southern shore of Cameron Lake.
By Monday the fire had grown to 20 hectares, with eight firefighters and one helicopter attacking the blaze in the steep terrain.
The wildfire service says the fire is highly visible from Highway 4. The agency urged drivers to use caution and focus on the road when travelling through the area.
"There is no threat to the highway or Cameron Lake resort areas," the agency said in an online update on the fire situation.
"Boaters on Cameron Lake should stay clear of helicopter bucketing dip sites. The CPR trail remains open at this time."
Provincial wildfire officials say the fire is believed to be human-caused.
Meanwhile, a 208-hectare wildfire, the largest of the season for B.C.'s coastal region, continues to burn near Sayward on northern Vancouver Island.
The wildfire service says the Newcastle Creek fire is currently being held five kilometres west of Sayward and no evacuation orders are expected.
The agency says 84 fires were actively burning in the province Monday, with 24 fires considered out of control.
Forty-two of the current fires are suspected to have been caused by lightning, 33 are believed to have been caused by people and nine are of unknown origin, according to the agency.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.