Water being dropped on the Nanaimo Lakes wildfire Wednesday. Three helicopters are being used Thursday to fight the blaze, which the Coastal Fire Centre says is an estimated 179 hectares in size and is 25 per cent contained. File photo.
The fight continues to get a handle on growing wildfires on Vancouver Island Thursday.
The largest of those is the Nanaimo Lakes wildfire, which the Coastal Fire Centre says is an estimated 179 hectares in size and is 25 per cent contained.
Officials say the fire grew to the north yesterday.
The Regional District of Nanaimo says the evacuation order and alert that was issued Monday night for properties near the fire, about 13 kilometres southwest of Nanaimo, remains in effect.
Update on Nanaimo Lakes Fire at of 10:49 am Aug 9: 179 hectares and 25% contained. RDN issued evacuation order and alert remain in effect.
More details from BC Wildfire Service at: https://t.co/uGtXGq7v7x— RDN (@RDNanaimo) August 9, 2018
There are three helicopters, eight pieces of heavy equipment and 55 firefighters fighting the blaze.
A wildfire on the Beaufort Mountain range near Port Alberni just north of Cherry Creek has doubled in size since Wednesday.
Coastal Fire says it is up to an estimated 10 hectares.
Three helicopters, three pieces of heavy equipment and 20 firefighters are working on the blaze Thursday.
A fire discovered Wednesday afternoon on Maple Mountain near Duncan has grown to an estimated eight hectares.
Coastal Fire personnel are assisting Maple Bay fire crews and six other fire departments on the ground and there are two helicopters being used.
An evacuation alert remains in effect for the area east of Osborne Bay Road from Herd Road northwest of Maple Bay to Tatlo Road just south of Crofton.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District says residents should expect smoke in the area and an air quality advisory is in place for east Vancouver Island.
Two small wildfires that started late Wednesday afternoon are being held or are under control.
Coastal Fire says the Circo Creek blaze southeast of Port Renfrew is a spot sized fire being held and not expected to spread.
Three firefighters are back at the scene Thursday to ensure a small fire west of Bowser remains under control.
With six new fires since Sunday, Coastal Fire officials say it is quite a spike for Vancouver Island and ask the public to be diligent to ensure more wildfires do not start.
CHEK News
