Six wildfires spark in Strathcona region

Vancouver Island has seen a six-fold increase in forest fires this summer over 2022

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Saturday and Sunday, lightning struck throughout the Strathcona region causing six small wildfires to spark near Wolf River, Mount Con Ried, and Trio Creek.

“The majority of them are in upper elevation so there wasn’t a lot of fuel,” said Nick Donnelly, an information officer with the Coastal Fire Center, adding that these wildfires have no risk to the public or critical infrastructure. “They are still listed as out of control, but they are just in a monitor only stage because we’re not expecting them to grow further.”

Trio Creek fire, north of Gold River, was the only wildfire that ignited on Sunday that demanded active suppression efforts and is not expected to grow. Donnelly said that suppression efforts were due to the location of the fire and the potential it had to expand.

Inside this issue...

Jacklah River wildfire, another fire located five kilometers south of Muchalat Inlet, is also near the town of Gold River. It sparked on July 20, growing to 35 hectares and is currently under control.

According to Donnelly, by this time last year there were a total of 14 wildfires that started on Vancouver Island. This year, to date, 91 have emerged.

Donnelly said that these numbers reflect the extreme drought conditions this year, and last year’s late start to summer which extended into October.

Additionally, there was not much precipitation relief over the winter, he said. In early July, Vancouver Island jumped from a level four drought rating to a level five. This is the highest drought level, which means adverse impacts on com-

Chip-sealing begins on Bamfield road............................Page 3

IIO releases investigation details of fatal shooting.........Page 5

Pole raised in Naa’waya’sum gardens.................Page 10 & 11

Confusion with new paid parking in Tofino.................Page 14

Massive red cedar discovered inAhousaht forest........Page 19 munities and ecosystems are “almost certain”.

“People say there’s no climate change, but [there] is,” said Mowachaht/Muchalaht Hereditary Chief Jerry Jack Jr. “Look how brown the hills are and how dry they are.”

He said that these dry conditions make it easy for a fire to start whether it be lightning-caused or human-caused.

To help prevent wildfires, campfires and open fire bans continue to be prohibited across the province, apart from category one campfires in the Haida Gwaii Forest District.

B.C. Wildfire service said that they will continue to monitor the area for holdover fires, which are wildfires that remain dormant for a few days before flaring up.

“Fire crews will continue to be on site for several hours but if the fire grows and places concerns on the Tseshaht community, more resources will be deployed.”

In 2018 the flames of a wildfire atArbutus Summit were visible from across the Alberni Inlet, located close to where the current fire resides.

Arbutus Mountain ignited only two months after the Cameron Bluffs wildfire set ablaze. Cameron Lake is located partially in Tseshaht territory, making the Arbutus Mountain wildfire the second to ignite in Tseshaht Ḥahahuułi this summer.

“I think it’s still so very nerve wracking…for a lot of our community just seeing the impacts of climate change,” said Watts. “These fires are just becoming a regular thing.”

“I think it really just drives home, how vigilant everybody needs to be given the drought conditions that we’ve been experiencing since last year and just how dry everything is,” said Donnelly.

The cause of theArbutus Mountain Wildfire is currently under investigation.