A three-person initial attack crew has been dispatched to a new fire west of Campbell River above the Strathcona Dam, BC Wildfire says.
A helicopter is also currently “bucketing” the fire with water, BC Wildfire Service spokesperson Jeanne Larsen said.
“It’s windy in the area,” Larsen said and a response officer is on site working to establish a control line on the fire which is currently at o.2 hectares in size. The fire is approximately half a kilometre from BC Hydro’s Strathcona Dam campground and the area is heavily timbered.
Because BC Hydro has a power line in the area, the power utility has sent staff to the scene as well.
Meanwhile, the situation with the fire on Read Island is looking optimistic. Fire broke out there on May 28 and crews have been tackling it all week. There is currently six fire personnel on the scene and a helicopter is dropping buckets of water on it. The fire is officially listed as out of control but Larsen said crews are optimistic they may be able to upgrade that condition to under control later today.
The Read Island fire is “a little bit inland” on the island, Larsen said, and is in a flat area with a mix of heavy timber, grasses and some swamp.
