©BCWildfireService

Evacuation orders and alerts due to a wildfire on Vancouver Island have been lifted and downgraded, but First Nations say they are still feeling the impact, warning that a propane-powered water-supply system could fail unless gas deliveries are restored. The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council said the road linking the Huu-ay-aht and Ditidaht First Nations to Port Alberni had been cut by the Mount Underwood fire, and propane deliverers would not send trucks down an alternative forestry road. “The only other route out of their communities to Youbou is very rough and dangerous. Flat tires are a common occurrence,” the council said. …Judith Sayers, president of the tribal council, appealed for the Youbou road’s repair, calling propane delivery a “critical measure.” …The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, representing 14 First Nations on Vancouver Island, said four nations had been directly impacted by the fire, which is burning about 12 kilometres from Port Alberni and within their territories.