Overview

• The wildfire on Vancouver Island has expanded to roughly 571 hectares and remains out of control more than a week after igniting on July 31
• Regional District of Nanaimo downgraded evacuation orders for about one-third of properties to alerts, allowing residents to return under preparedness warnings
• Ground crews are building helipads and deploying heavy machinery to enable direct attacks on the fire’s western edge in steep terrain
• Rain and higher humidity earlier this week helped crews gain ground in containment, reducing British Columbia’s active wildfires to 107 with Wesley Ridge now the only fire of note
• BC Wildfire Service warns that forecasted heat with gusty winds could spur renewed growth on the blaze, underscoring persistent risk despite recent progress