Update: Evacuation orders downgraded, Mount Underwood fire being held

Update: The BC Wildfire Service now says it is holding the Mount Underwood fire inside its current perimeter of 3,548 hectares.

Evacuation orders and alerts have been updated as crews dig up hot spots at the Mount Underwood Fire south of Port Alberni.  

The Alberni Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) issued updates in the morning of Aug. 20 and says evacuation orders at the China Creek Campground and Headquarters Bay have been downgraded to alerts. 

(Map via the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District)

There is still an evacuation order in place between the two areas under alerts. 

The BC Wildfire Service still considers the fire out of control and says it has burned 3,603 hectares. The service says more rain fell on the fire yesterday and fire activity has remained minimal with nearly no open flames. 

“Winds from the north are expected today, followed by warm and dry conditions for the next four to five days. As conditions dry, more smoke may become visible from within the fire’s perimeter. This will help crews identify and target priority areas for suppression,” reads an update from the BC Wildfire Service. 

Franklin River Road between Port Alberni and Bamfield remains closed and power has not been restored to communities on the west coast, including Bamfield, according to BC Hydro. 

The fire was discovered on Aug. 11 and triggered evacuation as it grew quickly. 

READ MORE: BC Hydro works to restore power in Bamfield as crews mop up Mount Underwood fire  

Tyler Hay
Tyler Hay
Tyler has been back and forth between Vancouver Island and Alberta during his career in journalism. He first joined Vista Radio in Lethbridge, Alberta after working as an editor in Ladysmith and Parksville. Now he is back on the Island to settle and is based out of Nanaimo writing about local politics. When not writing, he is busy sailing, riding motorcycles and fixing things in his shop.

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