British ColumbiaB.C. Hydro says power is expected to be restored by Saturday evening for over 500 customers in the Bamfield area. Residents have been without power for weeks due to a nearby wildfire.Crews have made good progress on restoring power in Bamfield area, says B.C. HydroAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Aug 23, 2025 3:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoIn this image shared by B.C. Hydro, wildfire-charred ground is seen next to restored power lines in the Bamfield area. (B.C. Hydro)B.C. Hydro says power is expected to be restored by Saturday evening for over 500 customers in the Bamfield area, who have been without power for weeks due to a nearby wildfire.The Mount Underwood wildfire, which covers an area of around 36 square kilometres, is considered held by the B.C. Wildfire Service, which means it is not expected to spread beyond existing boundaries.While most evacuation orders and alerts related to the blaze have been lifted, the Bamfield Main Road between Port Alberni and Bamfield remained closed on Saturday due to damage from the wildfire.B.C. Hydro said Friday that while slope instability was preventing its crews from working on damaged power lines in the Bamfield area, it was implementing a temporary solution to restore power to customers that have been without power since Aug. 11, when the fire was sparked.”Hydro crews made excellent progress on Friday and are hopeful that power will be restored by late afternoon or early evening on Saturday to customers in Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and balaac̓adt, following the extensive damage from the Mount Underwood wildfire,” read a statement from the power utility late Friday night.Restoration efforts included installing 60 new power poles over a six-kilometre-long stretch, which included two kilometres of forested cliffs with unstable rock.B.C. Hydro is asking residents in the Bamfield area to turn off major appliances and unplug sensitive electronics in order to protect equipment from potential surges when the power returns.A rainbow over the inlet in Port Alberni, B.C. is seen on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Smoke from the Mount Underwood wildfire nearby had mostly cleared after a full day of rain, and most evacuation orders and alerts related to the blaze have now been lifted. (Jennifer Magher/Radio-Canada)Bamfield Main Road closedIn a statement, the B.C. Transportation Ministry said it had deemed the Bamfield Main Road as unsafe for all road users.”Falling rocks, dangerous trees and a fire-damaged slope are presenting exceptionally challenging conditions, and there is no timeline for reopening the road in its current configuration,” the statement reads.The province says it’s working with forestry company Mosaic Forest Management, which is responsible for maintaining 15 kilometres of Bamfield Road, to beef up maintenance on a forestry road that is being used as a detour.”The Ministry of Transportation and Transit recognizes the importance of Bamfield Road to the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and area residents,” said Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth in the province’s statement.”There is substantial work necessary over the coming weeks and months ahead to reopen Bamfield Road.”A large pyrocumulus cloud formation is seen over the Mount Underwood wildfire in Port Alberni, B.C., on Aug. 13. (Claire Palmer/CBC)ABOUT THE AUTHORAkshay Kulkarni is an award-winning journalist who has worked at CBC British Columbia since 2021. Based in Vancouver, he is most interested in data-driven stories. You can email him at akshay.kulkarni@cbc.ca.
Power to be restored for hundreds affected by Vancouver Island wildfire
