The Mount Underwood Wildfire, discovered Aug. 11, raged just a few short kilometers south of Port Alberni, causing road closures, evacuation alerts, power failure and water restrictions.
The good news is the fire, which covered 3,518 hectares, is being held, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Power has been restored to the western communities near Nitinaht and Bamfield and water restrictions in Port Alberni have eased back to Stage 1. Water use restrictions in the small city were Stage 3 at the height of the raging fire, which prohibit filling swimming pools, washing vehicles and watering lawns. At Stage 1 water restrictions, residents’ lawn watering is permitted for a few hours every other day, and filling pools, hot tubs, ponds and fountains is permitted.
But a section of the fire-damaged road between Port Alberni and Bamfield remains closed for safety reasons.
“Crews are working on the 1.5-kilometre section between kilometre 8 and 9.5, where unstable slopes, dangerous trees and debris flow risks remain,” said the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit in a statement issued Sept. 15.
They went on to say that the necessary work to open the road will entail clearing debris, removing unsafe trees and stabilizing slopes to protect crews and the travelling public.
“The terrain is unpredictable, similar to conditions after the Cameron Bluffs wildfire on Highway 4,” the ministry added.
“A geotechnical assessment has been completed to identify hazard risks,” continued the Ministry of Transportation. “Based on these findings, the ministry is developing an operating guideline, similar to the approach at Cameron Lake, that will establish rain and wind thresholds for increased patrols and potential pre-emptive closures.”
For Anacla resident and Huu-ay-aht citizen Tammy Howard, life has gotten more challenging as her family struggles to get to appointments and cultural events in Port Alberni. The normally 90-minute drive from Anacla to Port Alberni over the Bamfield Main Road has grown to five hours over the Youbou route, which is a rough, industrial road in one section.
“Not everyone can afford the extra cost (to travel the Youbou detour),” she pointed out, so some families are missing cultural events and other things like Port Alberni’s annual Fall Fair or the Toy Run.
When it comes to emergencies, Tammy’s elderly mother was evacuated from Bamfield to Port Alberni then went by ambulance to Nanaimo after a medical incident in mid-August. Because of the road closure, the trip to Port Alberni was made by Canadian Coast Guard boat.
Howard says her mother is doing better but it was far more difficult to travel the longer route to see her in the hospital.
“My parent misses visiting local family and friends in Port Alberni,” Howard told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
Meanwhile, fire crews continue working the area affected by the wildfire.
“Crews continue to work on securing containment lines, extinguishing hot spots within 100 feet of the perimeter, and patrolling for flare-ups,” stated the ministry.
The Ministry of Transportation and Transport is working with Mosaic Forest Management to reopen the road. They say assessments of dangerous trees are ongoing and the ministry is co-ordinating tree falling and related utility work.
“To support the new operating guidelines, a weather station and closure gates will be installed in the coming weeks. Signage and barrier needs are also being reviewed through the most significantly affected area,” they said, adding that the ministry is aiming to reopen the road by the end of October 2025.
The ministry reminds travelers that public access to the closed section remains restricted. Concrete barriers are in place, and electronic signs alert drivers ahead of these closure points:
• north end: Bamfield Main at the cell spot (kilometre 7); and
• south end: Bamfield Main at Museum Forest Service Road (kilometre 10).
Drivers must continue using the Youbou detour and are reminded that this is an industrial road with variable surface conditions.
“Exercise caution, adjust speeds and avoid travel at night if unfamiliar with the route,” they advised.
They go on to say that once reopened, Bamfield Main Road will remain subject to temporary closures during periods of heavy rain or strong winds.
