For at least 128 years, a mysterious shipwreck has sat on the southwest shore of Vancouver Island in Ucluelet, B.C., about 170 kilometres northwest of Victoria.
And now officials are investigating another mystery: who or what is responsible for a recent fire that scorched the long-standing attraction?
“A lot of people in town are really upset that a piece of our history has been destroyed,” said Ucluelet fire chief Rick Geddes, who was out of town when the fire happened.
Deputy fire chief Markus McRurie told CHEK News crews responded Tuesday morning at about 5 a.m. — to what was originally reported as a brush fire — when they found the landmark on fire.
It took about an hour to put it out, he said. RCMP have said they are not investigating.
Ucluelet sits in a part of the Pacific Northwest known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” a region stretching roughly from the Oregon Coast in the United States northward to the west coast of Vancouver Island.
According to Oregon State Parks, approximately 2,000 vessels have sunk in the area since 1792 due to the treacherous terrain and difficult navigational obstacles, though just a handful are still visible.
According to an informational plaque at the wreck site, the “Big Beach Mystery Shipwreck” was reported as early as 1896.
Though its exact origins are lost to time, the plaque placed by the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and Ucluelet Wild Pacific Trail Society says researchers estimate the ship was built somewhere on the northwest coast of Americas in the mid-to-late 1800s and serves as an important piece of regional history.
For local resident Geoff Johnson, who posts photos and videos of the region under the name “Ukee Tube,” the wreck has been a regular feature of his content on social media and seeing it scorched was difficult.
“It is sort of a character,” he told CBC On the Island host Gregor Craigie. “It’s ended up in countless wedding photos and grad photos and things over the years. I even shot a little music video on it.”
Johnson said the wreck has not been completely destroyed and it was already being overtaken by time and vegetation, but it is clearly scorched from a fire that he suspects was either started directly below or inside of the boat.
“It’s definitely not as elegant as it once was, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s a bit of a punch.”
Geddes said it’s not uncommon for people to have bonfires at the beach, which is allowed, but it’s important people keep them under control and ensure they are put out once they leave.
He’s not sure that’s what was responsible for the burn at the boat, but said it serves as a good reminder of why it’s important to keep campfires under control.
Johnson said with the high fire risk across B.C., and people losing their homes, the burned shipwreck may not be as important, but he hopes it makes people think about the risks human-caused fires can pose.
“It’s grounding me, for sure,” he said.
