Out Of Control Wildfire Burning West Of Port Alberni

A wildfire burning west of Port Alberni has grown to more than 23 hectares.

Discovered Sunday, the fire has quickly grown in size and is burning out of control.

BC Wildfire Services says it is suspected the fire was human caused.

There are currently no area restrictions in place, but the fire is expected to grow.

Meanwhile, the Province is urging people to prepare as warm temperatures increase the risk of wildfire and drought.

Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, says BC stands ready to support communities and people during an emergency, and urges people to take action now to increase their household preparedness.

You can visit Prepared BC for information on how to prepare for common hazards such as heat and wildfire.

Community members are encouraged to prepare grab-and-go bags, create an emergency and evacuation plan, create an Emergency Support

Services profile through the B.C. Services Card app and ensure you have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance for your property.

If it comes down to the area having evacuation alerts in place, everyone should be prepared to leave their home on short notice and follow directions of local emergency officials and evacuate using the identified route or routes.

Warm and dry conditions are expected throughout the province this month, and with that comes an elevated risk of wildfire.

In addition to wildfire risk, the Province is also closely monitoring key indicators of drought risk, including snowpack.

The River Forecast Centre’s latest snowpack survey, released yesterday, shows B.C.’s overall snowpack is at 44% of normal.

Low snowpack, early snowmelt and warm seasonal weather forecasts point to the potential for elevated drought this summer. However,  rainfall in the coming weeks will also be a key factor in how drought conditions evolve throughout the province.