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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.