Fight against wildfire near Nanaimo could take weeks, says B.C. Wildfire Service

Crews have overcome a week of hot, dry conditions to makeprogress on a wildfire burning south of Nanaimo.

But they warn the fight against the 179-hectare Nanaimo Lakes fire that has been threatening several dozen homes on Vancouver Island could take weeks.

"We are definitely not going to pull resources off until we have containment on this fire and we feel that it's not going to challenge or threaten any properties around it," saidDimitriVaisiusof the B.C. Wildfire Service.

"There will be a presence on this fire for weeks certainly."

The suspected human-caused fire started on Aug. 5.

Containment along the eastern side wherehomes are locatedhas been the top priority for wildfire crews.The fire has been moving north instead.

"We've taken advantage of wind conditions to burn back to the guard. It's the safest way to make sure that we actually get containment," said Vaisius.

"We had a very successful burn on the northeast corner of this and hope we won't have any further spread to the east."

The fire, one of the largest in years to threaten homes on Vancouver Island,is considered 25-per-cent contained.

For those living nearby, it's been nearly a week of being on edge. An evacuation order is in place for a camping area and one home. Another 77 rural properties are under an evacuation alert.

Mike Gogo, who has been preparing to defend his Christmas tree farm and sawmill with firefighting equipment of his own,says he's feeling more optimistic.

"A few days ago I was really worried for the first time in my life," he said.

Cooler weather is in the forecast for the weekend, but that change could also bring stronger winds that have fire crews concerned.

Extremely dry conditions

The Nanaimo Lakes fire is not the only oneburning on Vancouver Island.

Fire crews expect to be dousing hot spots for several more days at Maple Mountain near Duncan. An evacuation alert remains in effect forhomes in the area east of Osborne Bay Road from Herd Road to Tatlo Road West.

North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP are looking for information from the public related to that fire after a man was spotted behaving erratically in the area shortly before it started.

Fire crews have also be dealing with several different fires in the mountains near Port Alberni that are suspected to be human-caused.

"I think that is the big message we need to get out to people. We need people to smarten up when they are out there in the forest," said Donna MacPherson with the Coastal Fire Centre.

The fire risk is rated as extreme on much of Vancouver Island.