Over 500 BC Hydro customers in the western region of Vancouver Island have been without power for more than a week now. The affected areas include Bamfield, Nitinaht Lake, Huu-ay-aht First Nation, and Ditidaht First Nation due to a wildfire that destroyed around 20 kilometers of power lines. In total, 528 customers have been impacted by these blackouts.
BC Hydro has been working diligently to rebuild the damaged infrastructure caused by the wildfire, aiming to fully restore power by August 30. Despite efforts to expedite the process, it is anticipated to take weeks before all services are back to normal.
While some residents in the affected areas are coping with the power outage, others are still under evacuation orders due to the wildfire. Fortunately, recent rain and cooler weather have aided firefighters in containing the blaze, with no significant growth expected in the near future.
The mayor of Port Alberni reassured evacuees that they should be able to return home soon as the fire is currently under control. BC Wildfire Service officials mentioned that although warmer and drier weather is forecasted, they do not expect the fire to spread further.