©BCWildfireService

A raging wildfire that has forced evacuations on south-central Vancouver Island has been burning at some of most severe levels of fire behaviour, a display that is “unusual” for the region, the BC officials said. Karley Desrosiers, an information officer with the service, said there was “aggressive” growth on the fire within a couple hours of its discovery on Monday. The blaze was reported at about 6:30 p.m. and it had grown to span 600 hectares by the end of that day. By Wednesday, the fire had grown to span more than 20 square kilometres. …Desrosiers said the blaze was not threatening the communities of Port Alberni, Bamfield or Youbou. …The blaze spurred the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, City of Port Alberni and Tseshaht First Nation to declare states of local emergency. …She attributed the unusually severe fire behaviour to a drought that has gripped Vancouver Island this spring and summer.