Evacuation orders related to a wildfire northwest of Nanaimo, B.C., on Vancouver Island, were expanded, as blazes continued to cause poor air quality throughout B.C. on Saturday.
The Wesley Ridge wildfire on the north shore of Cameron Lake covers an area of 245 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), and just under 200 properties are now under evacuation orders in the nearby Little Qualicum River Village.
The most recent evacuation orders were issued late Friday night due to the fire, which is burning on the north shore of Cameron Lake and is among nearly 150 wildfires burning around the province.
At the nearby Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, the campground is under an evacuation alert, according to the Environment Ministry, and the day-use areas for Cameron Lake and Beaufort along the Highway 4 corridor are closed. The latest updates on closures in the park can be found on the B.C. Parks website.
“Highway 4 is not impacted, however, we ask all travellers using the highway to please be mindful of crews working in the area, proceed with caution, stay [focused] on the road and maintain a steady flow of traffic,” BCWS said in an update.
The Regional District of Nanaimo has also issued an evacuation alert for 283 properties to the northeast of the lake in the Little Qualicum River Village.
An evacuation alert asks residents to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, while an evacuation order means residents should leave immediately.
Meanwhile, another fire south of Lytton, B.C., has led to poor air quality, with the Cantilever Bar wildfire also prompting evacuation orders for two properties in Lytton First Nation.
That blaze covered an area of 12.62 square kilometres as of Saturday morning, though the BCWS said it did not see appreciable growth overnight.
Special air quality statements are in place for the Fraser Canyon and parts of the southern B.C. Interior due to the blaze.
The areas covered by the advisory include the South Thompson, 100 Mile, and Cariboo regions including Williams Lake.
Poor air quality is also forecast for the Fort Nelson region in northeast B.C. due to wildfire smoke.
The special air quality statements are being accompanied by a number of severe thunderstorm watches that cover much of the eastern half of B.C.
On Friday, the BCWS noted that thousands of lightning strikes over the preceding two days had caused the number of blazes in B.C. to double in the span of 24 hours.
“Looking ahead to Saturday, lightning activity is expected to continue, with temperatures remaining near seasonal averages,” according to a BCWS update.
The Bear Creek wildfire, detected last week, has prompted road closures near Harrison Lake in the Fraser Valley, a popular recreation spot in the Lower Mainland.
Campers are being urged to stay out of that area over the long weekend, with the Fraser Valley Regional District issuing an evacuation alert for the North Cascade Bay area.
“There is increasing hazard along the Harrison East Forest Service Road due to wildfire activity, including rockfall,” according to a BCWS update late Friday night.
“Road closures will remain in place through the long weekend and until further notice.”
