Wildfire continues to topple trees onto Highway 4 near Port Alberni
A large, out-of-control wildfire continues to burn on Vancouver Island, forcing the closure of Highway 4, the only paved roadway to the island's west coast communities of Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet.
In an update Monday morning, fire information officer Shaelee Stearns said the fire was an estimated 254 hectares.
Some 76 firefighters, four helicopters and 10 pieces of heavy equipment were battling the blaze Monday, as well as an incident management team.
The Cameron Bluffs wildfire on Vancouver Island is pictured on June 9, 2023. (Transportation BC/Twitter)"The Cameron Bluff wildfire is burning in very steep terrain with unstable rock slopes above Highway 4," said Stearns.
"Due to the fire, some tree roots have been compromised and are falling onto Highway 4."
The wildfire is located just south of Cameron Lake, about 20 kilometres east of Port Alberni.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says crews are working to strengthen containment lines around the fire, and are conducting tree assessments throughout the fire site.
"The incident management team is working with our agency partners along with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to mitigate hazards along the highway corridor," said Stearns.
A firefighter was injured while battling the blaze on Saturday and was airlifted to hospital.
The B.C. Wildfire Service says it cannot comment on the extent of the person's injuries for privacy reasons.
Stearns says the BCWS and WorkSafeBC will launch their own investigations into the incident, as is protocol during any injury or accident during firefighting efforts.
Relatively cooler and wet weather helped firefighting efforts over the weekend, though higher temperatures and lower relative humidity, along with wind gusts, are expected this week, making firefighting efforts more difficult.
DETOUR IN EFFECT
A detour around Highway 4 is available, though the province says it should only be used for essential purposes.
Commercial vehicles carrying supplies, such as fuel and food, have priority on the roadway, according to the province.
The approximately four-hour detour is located along logging roads spanning from Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni.
The unpaved roads are windy, dusty, and involve single-lane bridges.
No cellphone service is available on the detour route, and drivers are encouraged to bring food and water, and to be prepared for slow moving traffic with no opportunities to pass vehicles.
Highway 4 has been closed since June 6 due to the wildfire. On Monday afternoon, the province said there was no estimate on when the highway will reopen.
The detour route is shown. (Province of B.C.)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Canada expands list of banned firearms to include hundreds of new models and variants
The Canadian government is expanding its list of banned firearms, adding hundreds of additional makes, models and their variants, effective immediately.
LIVE UPDATES Anger, vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing
The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson used ammunition emblazoned with the words 'deny,' 'defend' and 'depose,' a law enforcement official said Thursday. Here's the latest.
Man wanted for military desertion turns himself in at Canada-U.S. border
A man wanted for deserting the U.S. military 16 years ago was arrested at the border in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this week.
Life expectancy in Canada: Up last year, still down compared to pre-pandemic
The average Canadian can expect to live 81.7 years, according to new death data from Statistics Canada. That’s higher than the previous year, but still lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The National Weather Service cancels tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after 7.0 earthquake
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast.
These foods will be hit hardest by inflation in 2025, according to AI modelling
The new year won’t bring a resolution to rising food costs, according to a new report that predicts prices to rise as much as five per cent in 2025.
Pete Davidson, Jason Sudeikis and other former 'SNL' cast members reveal how little they got paid
Live from New York, it’s revelations about paydays on 'Saturday Night Live.'
The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why
Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why.
'At the dawn of a third nuclear age,' senior U.K. commander warns
The head of Britain’s armed forces has warned that the world stands at the cusp of a 'third nuclear age,' defined by multiple simultaneous challenges and weakened safeguards that kept previous threats in check.