Port Alberni RCMP have arrested a 34-year-old man on two counts of arson and an unrelated charge as they continue to investigate a number of suspicious fires 鈥� several of them in wooded areas 鈥� since June 27.
Extremely dry conditions in the area are raising concerns that any fire could potentially spread rapidly.
The man arrested was found near a fire at a dumpster in a downtown alley, said police.
Port Alberni Fire Chief Mike Owens said his department has responded to 14 fires in just nine days, through Wednesday.
鈥淲e鈥檙e certainly seeing that they鈥檙e all human-caused and just trying to determine if it was accidental or negligence or if they鈥檝e been intentionally set.鈥�
He pointed to an especially busy day 鈥� July 4 鈥� when there were six outdoor fires from 2 to 5:30 p.m.
One fire in Roger Creek Park, adjacent to the Scott Kenny Trail, was 鈥渇airly significant,鈥� he said 鈥� crews were there into the next day.
There was also a two-hectare fire June 28 just outside the city limits on Cherry Creek Road, which the Cherry Creek Fire Department responded to.
Roger Creek Park and Dry Creek Park 鈥� where fires have also been reported 鈥� both intersect the city east to west, said Owens, adding he met this week with the RCMP and the B.C. Wildfire Service to discuss each fire.
Abandoned campfires have been found at a few of the fires, and police said possible suspects have been spotted in some cases.
Owens said the Port Alberni region had 鈥渘o reprieve at all鈥� during weeks of hot weather without rain. The forecast called for a 40 per cent chance of showers Friday and today, but it鈥檚 expected to be followed by several days of sun and cloud with no precipitation.
Forests are 鈥渢inder-dry,鈥� Owens said.
On 91原创 Island, only one wildfire was burning as of Thursday, and it has now been declared to be out, said Coastal Fire Centre information officer Marg Drysdale. The blaze, believed to be human-caused, was near Ladysmith in the area of Watts Road.
Drysdale stressed that everything remains dry despite cooler temperatures in recent days, and hot, dry conditions are expected to return next week. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e definitely asking everybody to be very cautious.鈥�
The relatively quiet situation on the Island has allowed Island fire crews to go to other areas of B.C. where the fire situation is much worse, she said.
Drysdale noted that a provincial campfire ban enacted June 29 continues, adding use of charcoal is also not permitted.
鈥淲e are getting a lot of calls asking if people can use the propane campfires and that is definitely allowed,鈥� she said. 鈥淗owever, we鈥檙e also getting calls about the use of charcoal. Charcoal is compressed wood and that鈥檚 considered woody debris, so charcoal is not currently allowed.鈥�
Call Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424 with any information on the fires under investigation. Call 1-800-663-5555, or *5555 from a cellphone, to report a wildfire or behaviour that could start a wildfire.