The Mount Underwood wildfire that has been causing anxiety to Port Alberni residents for over a week is now classified as being held by the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
Discovered on Aug. 11, the fire created massive plumes of smoke visible from town as the municipal government, regional district and Tseshaht First Nation declared states of emergency. The city and Tseshaht put evacuation alerts in place for areas on the southern part of city while the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) placed evacuation orders on a large area including campgrounds.
With the fire under control, at 3,548 hectares, no growth in the perimeter is expected. Crews have been working to surround the fire and remove hot spots while clearing potential sources of fuel.
The City of Port Alberni is still in a state of local emergency and has imposed stage three water restrictions but the evacuation alert has been lifted. The ACRD downgraded some of its evacuation orders to alerts and the Tseshaht First Nation lifted its evacuation alert.
The Mount Underwood fire is mostly considered a rank one fire by BCWS, meaning it is a smouldering ground fire. Over 40 millimetres of rain has fallen on the fire in the past week. One of the contributing factors to the fire's size and rate of spread in the first few days was drought conditions in the area.
As conditions begin to dry again, people may notice smoke coming from the area, BCWS says the perimeter is not expected to grow and that smoke can help crews target their efforts.
