Hundreds of Vancouver Island properties under evacuation orders

Residents of Little Qualicum River Village on Vancouver Island are under an evacuation order as an out-of-control wildfire threatens their homes.

Around 400 properties in the Regional District of Nanaimo area west of the Parksville-Qualicum area have been told they need to leave their homes due to the Wesley Ridge fire. The order includes Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park and the north side of Cameron Lake.

Another 280 properties are under an evacuation alert.

BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Christi Howes says crews are facing challenges, including changing winds.

“It’s very steep, rocky terrain, hard to access along the lake,” Howes said.

She says several resources — including helicopters, skimmers, and air tankers — are being used on the blaze on the banks of Cameron Lake.

Local Jack Mitchell says his rural neighbourhood is now filled with emergency vehicles.

“I’ve grown up in this area, I’ve been here my whole life….and to see our neighbours in shambles, packing up and all warning each other, it’s surreal really.”

Mitchell says his family had been preparing to evacuate since Thursday, before an evacuation order was issued Friday.

“The police were gracious enough to make a special effort for us because we have a three-month-old child,” he said. “They give us 10 minutes to get everything we could.”

Mitchell says they had to move an RV and a boat off the property and pack up their truck with important items. He says it is a real possibility that his home could go up in flames.

“We won’t be returning to the house at this point. We’ll see what happens.”

The fire is suspected to be human-caused, according to the BC Wildfire Service, with winds causing the blaze to become more aggressive.

In an update, the BC Wildfire Service said crews, heavy equipment, and aviation resources continued to work overnight.

“Numerous fire departments from across Vancouver Island are contributing to structure defence task forces focused on urban-interface values protection in the area where needed,” it said.

As of Sunday morning, the fire had grown to almost 400 hectares.

— With files from The Canadian Press.