Aug 13 - Port Alberni fire spreading rapidly

Good morning !

It’s not common for us to be covering wildfire stories on back-to-back days—we’re usually lucky on the Island to avoid the worst of BC’s wildfire season—but the Mount Underwood Fire near Port Alberni grew at an unprecedented speed on Mon. through yesterday.

I hope all those in the area are safe and well. If you’re planning a trip out to the West Island in the next few days, you may want to double check you’re not heading to an evacuation zone.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: ☀️ 24 / 13

Tomorrow: 🌧️ 21 / 14

Day after: 🌧️ 19 / 15

7-day forecast

NEWS

Mount Underwood Fire near Port Alberni spreading rapidly

Just as the Wesley Ridge Fire near Cameron Lake was being held, another fire sparked that would eclipse it entirely. At its worst, Wesley Ridge grew to 588 ha. The Mount Underwood Fire, discovered Mon. night, grew to 1,391 ha as of 5pm yesterday evening. 

The fire spread rapidly Mon. night, going from 50 ha at 7pm, to 630 ha three hours later. By Tue. afternoon, the range more than doubled.

The Mount Underwood Fire is burning 12 km south of Port Alberni, and is affecting areas down to the coastal town of Bamfield. Power was knocked out in Bamfield, affecting more than 500 BC Hydro customers. According to a report from the Times Colonist, the power outage could last up to three days.

The BCWS said Tue. that the blaze was displaying Rank 4 and Rank 5 fire behaviour, meaning it burned quickly through the surface, reaching the treetops. Rank 6 is the highest level on the fire severity scale.

Fire’s sudden spread foils camping plans for hundreds

An estimated 300 people had to flee the China Creek Campsite Mon. night as the fire burned down the mountain.

The Port Alberni Clayoquot Regional District has issued a state of emergency and evacuation orders have been put in place for the area between China Creek Campsite and Headquarters Bay, just south of Port Alberni.

Rainy, cooler weather to the rescue (hopefully)

After a sweltering heatwave hit the Island this weekend—feeding the flames with added heat and exacerbating smoke—reprieve could soon come for fire crews and residents living in the affected area. Rain is in the forecast for Thu. and throughout the weekend, with temperatures dropping below 20C. 

There’s a possibility that smoke will move toward the south Island, but it’s not anticipated to be strong.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Cat missing on BC Ferries: Luigi, a tuxedo cat, slipped out of a slightly open car window during the 10:15am sailing from Duke Point to Tsawwassen. [BC Ferries]

Delays on E&N Rail Trail: Crack sealing work taking place between Lampson and Six Mile tomorrow. [CRD]

Victoria e-bike planning: Have your say in the planning of e-bike stations across Victoria. [City of Vic]

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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NEWS

Scientists solve the mystery of sea star wasting disease

The mystery behind a catastrophic disease that caused the massive die-off of billions of sea stars along the West Coast—including in Island waters—and confounded scientists for more than a decade is solved.

First noticed by scuba divers in 2013, sea star wasting disease went on to be the largest marine epidemic ever documented. The disease infected 20 different species the length of the coast from Alaska to Mexico, pushing sunflower sea stars in particular — and the vital kelp forests that rely on them — to the cusp of extinction in southern US waters.

The cause of the wasting disease is strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida strain FHCF-3, which lays waste to sea stars, first causing white lesions that rapidly eat away at the many-armed creatures before reducing them to mush within two weeks, said senior study author Alyssa Gehman, a marine disease ecologist with the Hakai Institute and the University of British Columbia.

The discovery is giving new hope that further outbreaks of the devastating disease can be contained or prevented. But identifying the bacterium as the cause of the wasting was a complete shock, Gehman said.

“The results completely blew me away. It was not at all what we thought was actually going to end up being the causative agent,” she said.

The discovery has shifted the focus from despair to hope, with exciting scientific opportunities to manage and mitigate the disease's effects. 

Read the full story here.

SPONSORED BY PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

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PHS provides supportive housing for marginalized people in Victoria.

⭐️ Capital Picks

🧱 Building the wall at Ship Point. [Facebook photos]

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🔥 Water jug + sunlight = fire: A Coombs resident caught the smouldering combo before it was too late when a water jug magnified the sun on their porch. [Dashwood Volunteer Fire Dept.]

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🗞️ In Other News

Two men saved from drowning in Durrance Lake by good samaritans
The men went out for a swim and soon were struggling to keep their heads above water. One man was thrown a pool noodle which helped him get to shore, but his friend fell unconscious, sinking to the bottom of the lake. A beach goer quickly jumped in to pull the man up from the lake, bringing him to shore. Another person—a lifeguard—administered multiple rounds of CPR until the man came to and coughed up water. The man was taken to hospital in stable condition. [CHEK]

Saanich 10-year-old’s lemonade stands raise thousands for charity 
Anders Yee, 10, has been selling lemonade from his homemade stand for three years now—and every dollar he earns goes to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (a non-profit that facilitates donations for the Royal Jubilee and Vic General). Yee lost his dad to an aneurysm—he was taken off life support at the Royal Jubilee in 2022. In an effort to support hospital teams like the one that helped his dad, Yee began his philanthropic lemonade stand. He’s raised close to $5K over the last three summers. [Saanich News]

Popular Island YouTubers killed in car crash
The Nanaimo couple, who had a global following of 200K subscribers, were killed in an accident in the BC Interior, near the West Kootenays. Stacey Tourout and Matthew Yeomans would share their offroad adventures on their YouTube page, Toyota World Runners. It’s believed they lost control of their vehicle on tough terrain, falling 200 metres and rolling several times. Yeomans died at the scene and Tourout was found near the crash with serious injuries. She died later that evening in the hospital. [CBC]

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🗓️ Things to do

👵 Greater Victoria Young at Heart Seniors Expo: Explore health vendors, community resources, and play games with prizes at the Victoria Curling Club today. 11am-3pm. [Info]

🍺 LampPost Beer Bus at Ship Point: Grab a bite, listen to live tunes, enjoy a cold beer, and connect with community at Ship Point today. 4-8pm. [Info]

🌅 Oaklands Sunset Market: Browse over 30 local vendors, grab food truck bites, and enjoy live music at this beloved weekly community market at Oaklands Community Centre today. 4:30-8pm. [Info]

🐯 Five Animal Frolics Qigong Workshop: Learn an ancient Chinese stretching and movement practice embodying five animals at Beacon Hill Park tomorrow. 5:30pm. [Info]

🧶 Crafternoon: Work on a crafting project and yap with new friends at Beacon Hill Park tomorrow. 6pm. [Info]

🎶 Rhythm Train: See the top-notch lineup of musicians delivering a great mix of blues, rock, R&B, and more at The Loft Pub tomorrow. 6-9pm. [Info]

🌊 Saltwater Tongues: Community Art & Poetry Night: Share your creativity or listen as the community celebrates ocean protection through poetry at Caffe Fantastico (Kings) tomorrow. 6:30pm [Info]

🌙 Oak Bay Night Market: Experience a European-style street market featuring local produce, artisan crafts, and live music on Oak Bay Avenue today. 4-8pm. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Tuesday’s headlines: Wesley Ridge Fire being held; Intrepid Theatre leaving Metro Studio next year; Two local beaches added to Island Health no-swim list. [Aug. 12]

Saanich roadwork: Single-lane traffic on Burnside at Albina tomorrow. 9am-3pm.

Reduced parking at Horth Hill: Half of the parking lot will be closed today for line painting. Until 2pm. [CRD]

Closed for business: See anemones—sitting next to purple sea stars—closed up during low tide. [Facebook photos]

Piggy trail: The Lochside trail has three new piglets—named Butter, Honey, and Cookiedough—for cyclists and trail users to visit. [Times Colonist] 

Cowichan Tribes win fishing rights title in Richmond, BC to appeal. [CBC]

Chipotle to open second Island location in Langford. [CHEK]

That’s it!

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