With the faint scent of wood smoke in the air and the views of Mount Arrowsmith obscured by smoke, people continue on with their daily lives, taking comfort in the knowledge that an out-of-control forest fire is far enough away to be concerned.
The Cameron Bluffs fire has been burning on the mountain slope above Highway 4 at a place known locally as Angel Rock, at Cameron Lake. According to the BC Wildfire Service, it was discovered Saturday, June 3 at 11:52 p.m. in a place only accessible via the Cameron Bluffs Trail. For this reason, it has been determined that the fire is human caused.
Over the weekend the BC Wildfire Services has been responding to the out-of-control fire with helicopters dumping buckets of water on the steep slope above Highway 4. On Tuesday, June 6, they estimated the fire to be 25 hectares and are tackling with what they call a “full response”.
Shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, Highway 4 closed with traffic control officers stopping vehicles near Coombes Country Candy at Highway 4 and Aspeden Road. A traffic control officer told Ha-Shilth-Sa that the fire had encroached onto the highway and only emergency vehicles would be allowed to go through.
She went on to say that she didn’t know how long the closure would last.
“It could be two hours, or it could be 24 hours. We have no way of knowing,” she said.
But shortly after 11 a.m. the RCMP issued a statement on social media, saying the road has been re-opened to two-way traffic.
The BC Wildfire Service continues to battle the blaze. Natural Resources Officers are investigating and request public assistance.
“If you have information regarding this incident, submit a report to the Ministry of Forests Compliance and Enforcement,” reads a BC Wildfire Services Statement.
