'We do anticipate there will be more': Multiple wildfires burning on Vancouver Island after lightning storm
Wildfire officials say a lightning storm rolling over Vancouver Island is responsible for sparking up to nine fires burning in the region Wednesday.
All of the fires are centred around the Barkley Sound area, with blazes reported near the communities of Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Bamfield, Buttle Lake and Nitinat Lake.
"We now have nine fires that we are either on scene at or en route to," said Julia Caranci, a fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, in an email Wednesday afternoon.
The spokesperson said it is possible that some of the fires reported to officials Wednesday are actually the same conflagration being reported more than once due to the close proximity of some of the fires.
"The storm continues to move over Vancouver Island so we do anticipate there will be more fires [to] report over the coming hours and possibly days," Caranci added.
All of the fires reported on the island Wednesday were smaller than an acre before 1 p.m.
Vancouver Island has dodged the worst of British Columbia's wildfires this summer. The B.C. Wildfire Service has counted 579 wildfires in the province in 2022, with the most destructive blazes reported in the province's Interior and southeastern regions.
There were 58 wildfires burning in B.C. on Wednesday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.