No reports of structures lost in Wesley Ridge fire but no timeline for people to return home

There have been no reports of any structures lost due to the Wesley Ridge wildfire burning on Vancouver Island.

However, hundreds of people remain out of their homes and hundreds more are ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

The Wesley Ridge wildfire, burning north of Cameron Lake, remains 538 hectares in size as of Tuesday evening.

1:00 More than 200 firefighters battle 500-hectare Wesley Lake wildfire

There are currently 387 homes on evacuation order, including Qualicum Falls Provincial Park and day use area and two campgrounds. Late on Monday, the Regional District of Nanaimo added 15 homes in the Spider Lake area to be added to the evacuation alert notice, which brings that total up to 250. Those residents must be able to leave their homes on short notice.

Madison Dahl with the BC Wildfire Service said there are 244 firefighting personnel responding to the blaze, with eight pieces of heavy equipment and seven helicopters.

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“Overnight, there was minimal growth on the Wesley Ridge wildfire,” she said.

“Fire behaviour was rank one, which is a smoldering ground fire with no open flame. And there was no growth in the northeast corner in the area of the Little Qualicum River Village and park community.”

Dahl said crews continue to prioritize protecting homes, critical infrastructure and keeping Highway 4, which connects Port Alberni and the coastal communities, open.

“This wildfire is burning in rugged and challenging terrain,” Dahl said.

“The nature of wildland firefighting is filled with inherent risk, and we are committed to building a culture of safety within the BC Wildfire Service to reduce risk where possible and keep firefighters safe.”

2:02 Wesley Ridge wildfire continues to burn out of control

The timeline for residents to return home remains unknown at this time.

“It is our intention to facilitate safe return home for all evacuees,” Dahl said.

“We are working with the local authorities, the Regional District of Nanaimo, to ensure that it is safe, to allow people to go home to their residences. I know that being evacuated during a wildfire is a very scary experience, and you’re putting your trust and faith in us.

“So please have patience and allow us to make sure that it’s safe before we can make any recommendations.”