A First Nation on northern Vancouver Island has declared a state of emergency due to a fire sparked by an overnight lightning storm.
An evacuation is not currently recommended for Ehattesaht First Nation, near Zeballos, but the council is urging residents to be prepared for new developments.
“This is not a time to be complacent,” Chief Simon John said in a press release. “As the past week went along I think we were all thinking about the forests and the dry conditions. Hearing the thunder and seeing the lightning last night had my heart sink. Then looking across the bay early this morning, there was the smoke.”
The fire, about 2.5 kilometres from the community, is reminiscent of a 2018 blaze that started small and grew rapidly, leading to extended evacuations, the First Nation said.
B.C. wildfire crews were on site attacking the fire by 9 a.m. Wednesday with local Zeballos firefighters, and will remain until the fire is out.
The First Nation has activated emergency planning in case the situation escalates.
Hot, dry weather over the past week has increased the risk of wildfires, with risk on Vancouver Island now considered high to extreme, said Dorthe Jackobsen, a fire information officer at the Coastal Fire Centre.
Seven forest fires were sparked when lightning passed over northern Vancouver Island early Wednesday morning, she said.
