©BCWildfireService

An out-of-control wildfire on the north side of Cameron Lake has triggered an evacuation order and alert for nearby areas on Vancouver Island, close to the site of a 2023 fire that shut down Highway 4 for weeks. The Wesley Ridge wildfire, discovered shortly after midnight Thursday, is now estimated at 0.6 square kilometres and is burning in steep, difficult-to-access terrain, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for properties on the north shore of the lake, including Chalet Road and Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. The wildfire service says the fire is burning on the opposite side of the lake from Highway 4, which remains open. Still, officials are urging drivers to use caution.