Vancouver Island wildfire prompts state of local emergency, evacuation order

Victoria -

The Cowichan Valley Regional District has declared a state of local emergency as an out-of-control wildfire saw explosive growth overnight Thursday and into Friday afternoon near Ladysmith, B.C.

An industrial property and a fish hatchery are subject to evacuation orders Friday near the Mount Hayes wildfire, which grew suddenly from 20 hectares Thursday night to 70 hectares Friday morning.

Several other properties were put under an evacuation alert Friday afternoon, including 20 residential properties northwest of Ladysmith. The evacuation alert covers homes on Ivey Road, Takala Road and David Road.

Residents in these areas are advised to prepare to leave their homes if an evacuation order is given by the regional district.

The CVRD is also advising the public to avoid the Cowichan Valley Regional Trail in the area near the fire, as well as the Comox Logging Truck Road. 

The fire was about two and a half kilometres west of Highway 1 when it was first discovered Thursday afternoon. 

Weather conditions have pushed the fire north, threatening homes and forcing ranchers to hastily corral horses and livestock away from the area.

Provincial wildfire officials say the fire’s initial overnight growth was “down slope” and away from residential areas.

Shifting winds have since increased the hazards firefighters are facing on the ground, with wildfire officials telling CTV News the fire’s behaviour should be concerning for everyone in the region. 

There were 10 firefighters, four helicopters and two water tenders at the scene Thursday evening, according to the BC Wildfire Service. More helicopters and firefighting aircraft could be seen buzzing over the area and dropping water Friday.

The Nanaimo airport restricted airspace near the fire and cancelled some flights Thursday and Friday.

Cowichan Valley Regional District chair Aaron Stone said the cause of the fire is still unknown.

“It’s too early to talk about cause but it’s not too early to talk about prevention,” Stone told CFAX 1070 on Friday. “When we’re in these kinds of conditions it really shocks everyone how fast these fires can move.”

NATURAL GAS FACILITY IN EVACUATION ZONE

The evacuation order applies to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage site owned by FortisBC at 3591 Ninatti Rd.

The Bush Creek Fish Hatchery near Christie Falls has also been ordered to evacuate.

FortisBC told CTV News on Friday that essential staff would remain on site to secure the facility despite the evacuation order.

The site currently houses approximately 46,000 cubic metres of LNG, according to FortisBC.

The company says it has several contingency plans in place and emergency equipment is at the ready should the fire threaten the facility.

The regional district has imposed restrictions to limit public access to forestry roads in the fire area.

A livestream video of the fire from nearby Mount Bensen is available below: