Vancouver Island wildfire burns out of control
Posted June 2, 2023 7:59 pm.
A wildfire burning on Vancouver Island has grown in size to just over 200 hectares.
The Newcastle Creek Fire, which is burning just west of Sayward, is classified as being out of control — meaning it continues to spread and isn’t responding to fire suppression efforts.
In addition, it’s causing quite a bit of smoke in the northeastern part of Vancouver Island.
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BC Wildfire Service spokesperson Kimberly Kelly says the weather over the next couple of days will not help firefighting efforts, as the forecast is looking fairly dry and rain-free.
“Conditions continue to be dry and warm and we expect to see this throughout the weekend,” she said.
“Our fire danger rating in most of the Coastal Fire Center is that moderate to high, that means that forest fuels will continue to dry until we have a significant period of rainfall.”
Kelly is reminding everyone to be careful starting any campfires this weekend, as the ground is very dry right now throughout the province.
“Never light a campfire [and] keep it burning in windy conditions, and make sure that the fire is completely extinguished and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time,” she explained.
Data from the BC Wildfire Service says the fire was human-caused, adding the burn was discovered on the afternoon of May 29.
As of Friday evening, there are no evacuation orders in place for Sayward or other nearby towns.
With files from Robyn Crawford
