Wildfire near Port Alberni, B.C., that triggered evacuation orders being held

PORT ALBERNI — A Vancouver Island blaze near Port Alberni, B.C., that triggered several evacuation orders last week is now classified as being held.

The BC Wildfire Service dashboard says the fire, about 35 square kilometres in size, is projected to remain within its current perimeter.

The fire had shown aggressive, intense behaviour in its first few days before being tempered by significant rainfall over the weekend.

Some evacuation orders and alerts were downgraded Wednesday by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, the City of Port Alberni and the Tseshaht First Nation.

However, nearby Bamfield continues to be without power and its main road access.

BC Hydro has said that it’s aiming to have power restored for Aug. 30, as a six-kilometre span of power infrastructure was destroyed and must be rebuilt.

There are about 60 active wildfires burning across B.C., with 53 declared out in the last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025.

The Canadian Press