Gold River wildfire persists, crews watch change in weather
Cooler temperatures and a forecast of rain are expected to help firefighters contain a stubborn blaze on a steep slope at Matchlee Bay, a remote area eight kilometres southeast of Gold River.
The fire, in an active logging area with felled and bucked timber, is about eight hectares in size. Discovered Monday, it is considered out of control, said Marg Drysdale, a spokeswoman for the B.C. Wildfire Service’s Coastal Fire Centre.
Drysdale said cooler temperatures and showers throughout the coastal region are expected to start this weekend and continue to May 1. The weather pattern is expected to help dampen the fire for the 15 firefighters at Matchlee Bay and provide needed moisture to debris on forest floors, which has put much of the coast at a moderate fire risk, she said.
A helicopter is moving crew members to hot spots, delivering water buckets and equipment and giving supervisors a bird’seye view of the area.
The fire has not grown in size over the past two days, Drysdale said, but the blaze is persistent.
The service said the fire was human-caused, and an investigation is continuing.
She said the fire is in steep terrain and there is concern for crews because of “rolling debris.”
Firefighters are being staggered along the slopes as they attack open fire and hot spots.
The fire is the largest on Vancouver Island this year. There have been 16 blazes on the Island since April 1, but most have been small brush fires.
Most of the province is under a moderate fire risk and there are currently no bans on campfires and open burning, but Drysdale said people should be cautious, as forest floors are dry.
“Location is everything and people should be careful,” she said.
“There are so many microclimates on the Island and conditions may be different less than a kilometre apart.”