Vancouver Island wildfire evacuees to hear soon when they can go home

The mayor of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island says about 50 residents evacuated from their homes due to a nearby wildfire will soon have an update on when they will be able to return.

Sharie Minions told a news conference Tuesday that officials are working with the BC Wildfire Service to update two evacuation orders and three alerts that are in place due to the out-of-control Mount Underwood fire.

“We are anticipating updates to our evacuation alerts and orders. As soon as we have determination on exactly what those updates will be and the new maps that will come out, we will communicate that alongside BC Wildfire, and we’re hoping for that soon,” she said.

The regional district’s chief administrative officer Daniel Sailland said about 50 permanent residents had to be evacuated along with approximately 150 campers and other visitors due to the fire, which was discovered Aug. 11.

Fire information officer Karley Desrosiers said 160 personnel are working on the fire, which is not expected to grow beyond its current 36 square kilometres as the area warms up after several rainy days.

“We have received considerable rain since Thursday, and more rain is expected today,” she said. “Going forward, we are expecting conditions to get a little bit warmer and a little bit drier and a bit windier as well.

“But despite that change in weather compared to what we’ve had over the weekend, we’re not anticipating any growth on this fire.”

Desrosiers said that the fire will be more visible as the area dries out, with more smoke likely being emitted after the rain stops.

Environment Canada on Tuesday issued a special air quality statement for parts of Vancouver Island, saying that localized smoke from Mount Underwood may “periodically” affect Port Alberni and other nearby communities.

The blaze has shut off power and the main road access to nearby Bamfield, B.C. since August 11. A statement from BC Hydro Tuesday said the goal was to restore power by Aug. 30.

The statement said a damage assessment confirmed that 56 power poles were destroyed, and approximately 70 spans of power line will need to be restrung.

“The rebuild spans six kilometres, including two kilometres of rugged terrain characterized by steep forested cliffs and unstable rock, which pose significant challenges to crews working in the area,” the statement said.

BC Hydro said crews have placed 15 new power poles and strung 11 spans of power line since they were allowed back into the area on Aug. 16.

Spokesman Ted Olynyk told the news conference Tuesday that 60 people are working in the area, with more on the way.

A portion of the main road to Bamfield remains closed with drivers having to take alternative routes through the area.

Desrosiers said there remains a section of “no go zone” for crews on the road.

“There has been geotechnical assessments to determine that there is a section where the cliffs upslope of the road are very steep and unsafe for our crews to travel on,” she said.

“So we are using alternate routes, whether that is a rough road that was put in by our heavy equipment to allow our crews to access areas that we previously couldn’t or putting in a helipad, to be able to transport crews via helicopter to areas that are currently unsafe to drive through.”

In a video message posted on its Facebook page, the BC Wildfire Service said crews are starting to “mop up” areas at the fire’s perimeter by extinguishing hot spots.

Mount Underwood fire operations chief Kiah Allen said the goal is to prevent future flare-ups that can create spot fires outside the perimeter once drier and warmer weather returns later this week.

Rain over the weekend has helped douse wildfire activity across B.C., with the number of active blazes down to about 60.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press