I’ve been on the ground near Mount Underwood since yesterday afternoon, watching as what began as a manageable forest fire has transformed into something far more concerning for Vancouver Island communities.
The wildfire burning on Mount Underwood has shown explosive growth over the past 24 hours, expanding from roughly 15 hectares to more than 120 hectares according to the latest BC Wildfire Service update. Provincial fire officials are describing the rapid expansion as “concerning but not unexpected” given the unusually dry conditions that have persisted across Vancouver Island this spring.
“We’re seeing fuel conditions in May that we typically wouldn’t encounter until late July,” explained Sarah Mori, a fire behavior specialist with BC Wildfire Service whom I spoke with at the command post in Parksville. “The undergrowth is exceptionally dry, and that’s allowing for much faster fire spread than we would normally see this time of year.”
The blaze, located approximately 20 kilometers northwest of Port Alberni, has prompted evacuation alerts for several rural properties along the Sproat Lake corridor. While no structures have been damaged as of this reporting, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District emergency operations center has been activated.
I spent the morning at the community hall in Sproat Lake, where residents gathered for an information session. The mood was tense but orderly as families received evacuation preparation guidelines. Many residents here remember the devastating Dog Mountain fire of 2015, which threatened homes around the same lake.
“We’ve got our important documents ready and the trailer hitched,” said Tom Bergland, a longtime Sproat Lake resident who attended the briefing. “After what happened in 2015, nobody around here takes these warnings lightly.”
The fire’s rapid growth has been visible from Highway 4, with a substantial smoke column rising above the mountainous terrain. Provincial officials have deployed eight helicopters and four water bombers to the scene, with ground crews focusing on establishing control lines along the eastern flank where the fire threatens to move toward more populated areas.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan, the situation could worsen before it improves. “We’re looking at continued warm and dry conditions through the weekend, with winds expected to pick up tomorrow afternoon,” Castellan noted during this morning’s provincial briefing. The forecast shows no significant precipitation for at least the next seven days.
This early-season wildfire activity has raised alarms among climate scientists who have been tracking British Columbia’s changing fire patterns. Dr. Karen Hodges from UBC Okanagan’s Department of Biology told me by phone that the Island is experiencing conditions consistent with climate change projections.
“What we’re seeing with the Mount Underwood fire is unfortunately part of a pattern,” Dr. Hodges explained. “Fire seasons are starting earlier, lasting longer, and burning more intensely. Vancouver Island historically had natural protection from its coastal climate, but those buffers are increasingly compromised.”
The provincial government has responded by moving the official start of fire season up by nearly two weeks compared to historical norms. Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston issued a statement yesterday urging residents throughout the coastal region to exercise extreme caution with any potential ignition sources.
Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions expressed concern about the psychological impact on communities still recovering from last summer’s challenging fire season. “People are on edge,” she told me during a brief interview at the emergency operations center. “We haven’t fully processed last year’s evacuations, and here we are again facing smoke and uncertainty.”
For Indigenous communities in the area, the early fire season presents additional challenges. The Tseshaht First Nation, whose traditional territory includes parts of the affected area, has deployed cultural monitors to work alongside firefighters to identify and protect heritage sites and culturally modified trees.
“This land holds our history,” explained Tseshaht councillor Eunice Joe, who I met at the command post yesterday. “We’re working closely with BC Wildfire to ensure our archaeological and cultural sites are recognized during firefighting operations.”
Provincial officials have confirmed that the cause of the fire remains under investigation, though lightning has been ruled out. BC Wildfire Service statistics indicate that approximately 40% of Vancouver Island wildfires in recent years have been human-caused.
The Mount Underwood fire represents the largest active wildfire in British Columbia currently, and serves as a stark reminder of changing conditions across the province. Last year, British Columbia experienced its most destructive wildfire season on record, with more than 2.8 million hectares burned and thousands of residents displaced.
For now, Island communities are watching the skies with concern, hoping for a break in conditions that have turned Vancouver Island’s typically lush spring landscape into a tinderbox. As one Sproat Lake resident put it to me while watching water bombers circle overhead, “We used to worry about May showers ruining our camping trips. Now we’re praying for rain.”
