State of emergency, evacuation alert lifted for Mount Hayes wildfire near Ladysmith
The Cowichan Valley Regional District has lifted its evacuation alert for residential properties northwest of Ladysmith, B.C., and canceled its state of local emergency as fire crews work to extinguish what’s left of the Mount Hayes wildfire.
The emergency orders were rescinded Tuesday night to the relief of 20 rural property owners on Takala Road, David Road and Ivey Road.
Evacuation alerts for a FortisBC natural gas facility and the Bush Creek fish hatchery remain in place.
Earlier Tuesday, firefighters with the BC Wildfire Service successfully widened a control line around the fire zone, while searching out and extinguishing hotspots within the perimeter.
The Mount Hayes wildfire grew from 20 hectares on Thursday evening to 70 hectares by Friday morning, prompting the Cowichan Valley Regional District to declare a state of local emergency.
The regional district says smoke from the wildfire, which measured 73 hectares at its peak, will remain over the area for several days.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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