Crews are fighting a small wildfire southwest of Nanaimo Airport in the Mt. Hayes area. (submitted photo/Mark Stewart)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

FIRE SEASON

Multiple crews tackle brush fire southwest of Nanaimo Airport

Aug 19, 2021 | 2:40 PM

NANAIMO — Crews from the BC Wildfire Service and local volunteer fire departments are dealing with a small fire southwest of Nanaimo Airport.

Reports of the fire began around 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19 with a visible plume of smoke extending from the forest west of Hwy. 1 in the Mt. Hayes area.

Gordon Robinson, Coastal Fire Centre information officer, told NanaimoNewsNOW the fire is two hectares in size and burning out of control approximately 2.5 kilometres west of the highway.

“It is not currently threatening any structures but BC Wildfire Service is responding with ten personnel, four helicopters, two water tenders and air tankers.”

Robinson said the fire is considered a rank 2-3 fire, which means “the fire is not smoldering on the ground, it’s actively burning on the surface maybe in places starting to make its way up into the trees.”

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The fire is not currently threatening any structures and no evacuations are being considered.

Crews from multiple local volunteer fire departments are augmenting the provincial resources.

North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department said they have a duty officer on scene with one engine working up Mt. Hayes. Other departments were called to the scene for a variety of firefighting and support roles.

Witnesses on scene said two helicopters arrived early to fight the fire, along with a bomber plane dropping fire retardant.

A thick plume of smoke is visible from near Nanaimo Airport stemming from the Mt. Hayes fire, southwest of the runway. (submitted photo/Jen Kennedy)

Despite a higher-than-normal year for fire starts in the Coastal Fire Centre, the number of hectares burning is down signficantly.

The only other fire currently listed on the mid-Island is the on-going Copper Creek fire, which crews have under control and have held at 32 hectares since it sparked Friday, Aug. 6.

— More to come.

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