Wildfire West Of Nanaimo

UPDATE 12:00 pm June 21 This fire is still not contained and has increased in size from 4 to 6 hectares. Water dropped yesterday has slowed the progress of the fire which is being fought by 21 firefighters and two helicopters. There are a lot of branches and slash feeding the fire which makes it difficult for firefighters to deal with. There are no homes or structures threatened by the blaze which is about 7kms west of Nanaimo, in the Mt. Benson area in an active logging area..

Photo credit Wildfire Management Branch

Crews respond to wildfire west of Nanaimo
6/20/2015 5:14 PM

PARKSVILLE -- The Wildfire Management Branch is responding to a four hectare wildfire west of Nanaimo. Thirteen fire fighters, two helicopters, and Airtankers are working on the fire, which has grown quickly in felled and bucked timber on private forestry land.

Water skimming aircraft are also working on this fire, and recreational boaters are requested to avoid pickup locations to allow the aircraft to complete their work safely.
No structures or homes are threatened by this fire. The area is experiencing warm temperatures and steady wind, in an area of high fire danger rating. The fire is human-caused, and under investigation to determine the specific cause.

The public is reminded that all open fires, except campfires, are prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre's jurisdictional area, with the exception of the Fog Zone. This includes �party fires� or �bonfires� larger than a campfire.

Campfires that are small (0.5 meter tall by 0.5 meter wide and smaller) on mineral soil with a fuel break, and attended at all times are permitted. Campfires must be fully extinguished, cold to the touch, before leaving the campsite.

The public is also cautioned to be careful with any activity that could lead to a forest fire. Cigarettes should be extinguished carefully in water, and vehicles should avoid parking or driving through tall weeds and grasses.

Long range weather forecasts are predicting a return to warm and dry conditions next week.