Wildfire grows, evacuation order expands to nearly 400 properties on Vancouver Island

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This article was published 02/08/2025 (241 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly 400 properties on Vancouver Island, as well as a provincial park, have been ordered evacuated due to a wildfire burning out of control.

The Regional District of Nanaimo expanded it’s evacuation order related to the fire burning on the north banks of Cameron Lake, about 60 kilometres from the City of Nanaimo.

District spokeswoman Rebecca Taylor said most of the 393 properties under evacuation order are residential and that another 238 properties are under evacuation alert.

A post on BC Parks’ website said an evacuation order was in place which includes all of Little Qualicum Falls Park.

“To support the work of wildfire crews, all visitors should leave the park immediately and remain out of the area until further notice,” the advisory said.

The fire grew to an estimated 2.45 square kilometres, officials said Saturday.

Fire information officer Christi Howes told a news conference earlier Saturday that the firefight includes wildfire and structural protection crews, as well as five helicopters, skimmers and air tankers.

“We were throwing a surge of resources on this throughout the evening and throughout the day as well so that there is a very strong presence there,” she said.

Howes said the fire is largely burning in “difficult-to-access and inoperable” steep and rocky terrain and the wind direction changes frequently in the basin. 

The fire, which was discovered on Thursday, is believed to be human-caused. 

It is one of several significant blazes burning in the province that also saw thousands of lightning strikes over the last few days.

A situation update from the BC Wildfire Service Saturday said since Wednesday more than 48,000 lightning strikes have been recorded across the province, with significant activity in the Kamloops, Cariboo and Prince George regions. 

The Prince George Fire Centre alone reported more than 33,200 strikes.

The Saturday report said that 44 new wildfires have been detected in the last 24 hours, 34 of which are lightning-caused

Environment Canada issued more than a dozen severe thunderstorm watches across British Columbia’s Interior on Saturday.

Karley Desrosiers, a fire information officer with the BC Wildfire Services, said conditions aren’t expected to lead to the same kind of extreme fire behaviour the province saw previously, when some areas had temperatures nearing 40 C.

“Lightning across the eastern half of the province will likely be associated with at least some precipitation, whether it’s patchy or some locally heavy downpours, potentially,” she said.

“But even in areas where there is no rain associated, we are seeing higher humidity relative to what we experienced earlier in the week.”

Environment Canada forecasters say conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that could produce strong winds, large hail and heavy rain.

Environment Canada lifted the heat warning that had been in place in B.C., but multiple regions are under special air quality statements due to smoke.

Desrosiers said a wildfire south of Lytton, B.C., has seen only “limited growth.”

An evacuation order issued by the Lytton First Nation remains in place, and another alert is in place related to the Bear Creek fire burning near Harrison Lake in the Fraser Valley.

Desrosiers said there hasn’t been rain in the area so there is potential for more fire activity in the coming days.

The BC Wildfire Service dashboard listed 138 active fires as of Saturday evening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.