British ColumbiaB.C. Hydro says power was restored Saturday for more than 500 customers in the Bamfield area. Residents had been without power for almost two weeks due to a nearby wildfire.Crews have restored power in Bamfield area, says B.C. HydroAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Aug 23, 2025 3:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 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 it has restored power ahead of schedule for more than 500 customers in the Bamfield area, who have been without power for weeks due to extensive damage caused by 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 Saturday dozens of power line technicians, vegetation management crews and others worked to install 63 new poles and 65 new spans of power line along a six-kilometre corridor, including two kilometres of forested cliffs with unstable rock.The most challenging section is a 1½-kilometre stretch that is inaccessible due to slope instability, but B.C. Hydro said in a press release that it set up a temporary solution to restore service while planning for a permanent fix when conditions allow.Customers in Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, and balaac̓adt had been without power since Aug. 11, when the fire was sparked.The utility company originally estimated power would be restored by Aug. 30.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.B.C. Hydro restored power to the Bamfield, B.C., area on Vancouver Island on Saturday Aug. 23. Crews installed 63 new poles and 65 new spans of power line. (B.C. Hydro)Ted Olynyk, B.C. Hydro’s Vancouver Island community relations manager, thanked customers for their patience.”Safety has been our top priority every step of the way,” Olynyk said in the release. “Every decision we made was guided by the need to protect both our workers and the public.”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 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)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 restored for hundreds affected by Vancouver Island wildfire
