BC Hydro says power has been restored to more customers in Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and balaac̓adt. Electrical infrastructure was damaged in the Mount Underwood fire and power was out in the communities from Aug. 16 until this weekend.
“Since August 16, dozens of power line technicians, vegetation management crews and others have worked to rebuild the damaged infrastructure, including installing 63 new poles and 65 new spans of power line along a six-kilometres corridor,” reads an update from BC Hydro. “Our crews faced extremely challenging conditions, including steep terrain and unstable slopes and every decision we made was guided by the need to protect both our workers and the public.”
A news release from the province says the road between Bamfield and Port Alberni remains closed. Part of the road is owned by Mosaic Forest Management, which is working with the province to find solutions to unsafe conditions.
“Falling rocks, dangerous trees and a fire-damaged slope are presenting exceptionally challenging conditions and there is no timeline for reopening the road in its current configuration,” reads the press release, which adds further technical assessment is required to determine the timeline for any immediate fix to provide for public access.
A detour route through Youbou is the only alternative access to the west coast communities and the province says it is working with Mosaic to increase maintenance to the road.
