Wildfire near Port Alberni causes Highway 4 closure

A wildfire about 15 kilometres west of Port Alberni shut down Highway 4 for several hours on Saturday.

The one-hectare blaze, thought to be human caused, was on a steep slope above the road near Taylor Arm Park and Sproat Lake.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said no buildings were threatened.

Several fire crews were on the scene as aircraft dropped water on the blaze.

The highway was closed about 4 p.m. and opened to single-lane, alternating traffic about 5:45 p.m. The road was fully reopened just before 8 p.m.

Officials in the Okanagan were hopeful that fire crews could aggressively tackle wildfires in the region on Saturday, as the weather forecast called for more cloud cover and less wind than in recent days.

Noelle Kekula, spokeswoman for the region’s complex incident team, said while some wildfires in the Okanagan had stayed the same size overnight, others had grown slightly.

“Over the last day, we have seen that the fires have stayed within our containment lines,” Kekula said.

“So they’re just growing a bit, but staying within our containment lines.”

The number of properties under evacuation order or alert remained at nearly 1,000, as the fires continue to burn in the popular tourist area, the centre of B.C.’s wine industry.

About 200 firefighters were working to increase the containment of the fires and get water on the perimeter, Kekula said. Eighteen helicopters were being used in the operation.

“In the Okanagan complex, our priorities are life, property and infrastructure,” Kekula said.

Last week, a lightning storm hit the region.

Cameron Baughen, spokesman for the emergency operation centre in the southern part of the Okanagan, said Saturday evening 30 properties were under evacuation order.

About 200 properties were under an evacuation alert, which means that residents can go back to their homes, but they must leave immediately if told that the fire has become worse.

In the central part of the region, 766 properties were on alert, but none were on evacuation order.

Kekula said one fire that was taking up significant amount of resources to contain was called the Mount Eneas fire. The fire spans about 13.7 square kilometres, Kekula said.