Highway 4 closed west of Port Alberni as crews battle small wildfire near Sproat Lake

Highway 4 closed west of Port Alberni as crews battle small wildfire near Sproat Lake
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A photo of the wildfire burning near Sproat Lake. (Twitter Ryan Males @2realryan)

A photo of the wildfire burning near Sproat Lake. (Twitter Ryan Males @2realryan)

Provincial and local fire crews are working to extinguish a small brush fire burning 15 kilometres west of Port Alberni near Sproat Lake.

Highway 4 has been closed west of Taylor Arm Provincial Park, and no detour is in place. The blaze is burning on a steep slope near the highway.

The one-hectare fire was reported just after 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon and is suspected to be human-caused. No buildings are being threatened as the fire is in a remote area.

Air tankers are also working on the blaze, and the exact cause of the fire is under investigation.

(B.C. Wildfire Service)

(B.C. Wildfire Service)

“We have a full open fire prohibition in place right now, so we need people to comply with that,” said Donna MacPherson a fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre.

“If people are in the forest they need to be very careful with anything they are doing that could start a fire.”

Open burning is prohibited and a campfire ban is currently in effect for most areas in the Coastal Fire Centres jurisdiction, including all of Vancouver Island.

Over the years Sproat Lake has experienced some of the worst wildfires seen on Vancouver Island.

Julian KolsutJulian Kolsut

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