Aug. 7 update: The fire is now 571 hectares and the Regional District of Nanaimo has issued another evacuation order and alert.
The RDN has also partially downgraded a previous evacuation order and says some residents can safely return to their properties.
A complete map of evacuation order and alerts can be found on the RDN’s website.
The BC Wildfire Service says there was very little overnight fire activity near residences on Wesley Ridge and west Cameron Lake as the fire sits at 538 hectares.
An update from the service says there are still 24-hour operations fighting the Wesley Ridge wildfire and working to protect structures.
“Night vision equipped helicopters continued to monitor the fire throughout the evening as was operationally necessary. Ground crews and structure protection teams patrolled the wildland urban interface areas through the night, extinguishing hotspots,” reads an update from the BC Wildfire Service.
A small amount of rain fell on the fire between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning and there is a chance of more throughout the day. The wildfire service says crews are taking advantage of light wind and cooler conditions to aggressively attack the fire.
“They have made excellent progress in suppressing fire activity in residential areas and are now advancing to build containment lines along the more remote parts of the northern flank,” the update says.
The southern and western edges of the fire continue to burn in inaccessible and challenging terrain along Cameron Lake. The update says there is a lot of dry fuel available and structural protection systems and crews are in place to ensure the continued protection of properties on Cameron Lake.
Crews are working on the western shore of the lake to prevent further growth in that direction. The BC Wildfire Service says there is limited ground access and equipment is working to create more access for crews.
Heavy equipment is establishing guard on the northern edge and ground crews are working to remove fuel between it and the burning edge.
The cooler temperatures are not expected to last long, with more dry heat expected later in the week.
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