No significant growth in Mt. Hayes fire overnight, officials say

Vancouver -

The Mt. Hayes wildfire burning on Vancouver Island did not grow significantly overnight Friday into Saturday, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

The fire remains classified as out of control and is burning on 70 hectares of land northwest of the Town of Ladysmith.

The blaze was first discovered on Thursday night and had grown significantly by Friday morning, prompting evacuation orders for a liquefied natural gas storage facility to the fire's west and a fish hatchery to its east.

Those orders, as well as a joint evacuation alert issued by the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo regional districts on Friday for properties on Takala, David and Ivey roads remained in place Saturday.

In an update Saturday morning, the CVRD said firefighters from the BC Wildfire Service and local fire departments were working to establish fireguards to limit the blaze's ability to spread further.

There were five helicopters, five officers, 56 firefighters and several pieces of heavy equipment from the wildfire service working on the fire Saturday, according to the regional district.

Fire departments from the North Oyster, Ladysmith and Cowichan regions were also helping to fight the flames.

"Due to the changing wind patterns, the Town of Ladysmith and surrounding area is experiencing increased wildfire smoke," the CVRD said in its online update.

"Smoke can affect each person differently, based on their health, age and exposure," the district added. "If you begin to notice symptoms such as eye irritation, running nose, sore throat, mild cough, wheezing or headaches, take steps to limit your exposure."