A wildfire burning near Gold River, about 70 kilometres west of Courtenay, has grown from 4.5 hectares to 8 hectares since Tuesday.
READ MORE: BC Wildfire Service battling blaze near Gold River
The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) said it currently has 14 firefighters and one helicopter working on the blaze, which was discovered April 19.
The fire is burning in a logging area about eight kilometres southeast of Gold River. The BCWS said the fire was quiet in the morning with some pockets of open flame.
“The fire is in a very steep area and our crews are concerned with rolling debris from the fire,” said BCWS information officer Donna Macpherson. “So there’s limited areas that they can work due to the safety conditions, because as the fire burns it has a tendency to destabilize both the soil and the trees themselves.”
Environment Canada is forecasting the current stretch of warm weather is supposed to change Friday to cooler conditions and some precipitation.
“There’s precipitation in the forecast which is always welcome so that would further quiet the fire down,” said Macpherson. “I’m not certain that it would actually put the fire out in the area it’s in but it certain would make sure the fire is relatively quiet.”
The BCWS says the fire isn’t posing risks to any structures or people. The fire is the largest fire on Vancouver Island this year. There have been 16 fires on the island since April 1, 2021.
BCWS saysthe fire is human-caused and it is currently investigating to find out more about how it sparked.
Justin Waddell
