shit.

very close to #portalberni

must have only started in the past hour or two.

Looks like it is south of the city, near China Creek.

the wind is thankfully and rarely blowing NNE. So might be moving away from town. No info yet.

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

The south facing Alberniweather WebCam has the best view. 😢
Apparently, it is very near China Creek. Please do not approach that area.
Or anywhere on the southside of town to ensure emergency vehicles can get down there
https://www.youtube.com/live/8iLgZl2tDYI?si=2IVTg7MqMyAGYOYg
Alberniweather South Webcam

YouTube

3/n View from the water last hour.

Live Youtube with a view: https://m.youtube.com/live/8iLgZl2tDYI?si=2IVTg7MqMyAGYOYg
#bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

4/n Not going to sugar coat this.

Tonight, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday could be very scary.

If the rain comes on Friday that will help immensely.

I believe every person in the City of Port Alberni should Get a grab and go bag ready right now.

Make arrangements with friends and family out of town if you can just in case.

This is serious. It could go bad very quickly. The best we can do is be over prepared.

#bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

630ha at 10:30PM. It is close to the ridge but hasnt topped it yet.

Working on our grab and go.

Documents are gathered. A few clothes. Food for the cats. And four 4L jugs of water. One for each of the family and one for the two cats. (washed then out with Dawn first to get out any milk remnants)

If we have to, we could go right now, with this stuff but we'll gather more tomorrow.

#bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

Update at 12AM. I have updated the link to the post on Alberniweather to be:

www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire

Not too much to report. The ACRD appears to be sending updates only through the VoyentApp currently. I have duplicated their messages on the post and added other information.

https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire/

#bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

2:45PM Aug 12 – Underwood Fire Updates – 1400 hectares – Wind light Variable. Fire 9.2km away

Critical Links The link to this post is now: https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire ACRD posting updates on the Voyent Alert App ACRD Mount Underwood Fire webpage with Evac Orders. ACRD Emergency Facebook Updates. BC Wildfire page for Mt. Underwood Fire. Make a Grab and Go Bag Make your Home Fire Safe Listen to the Peak Radio. Live Weather...

Alberniweather

1AM: I'm headed to bed. Wil be up before 8AM and will try to update asap. ACRD Voyent Alert app is the best source as will be The Peak in the morning when they come on the air.

Stay safe out there and be prepared for anything.

#bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

6AM Update -- NOW is the time to prepare to evacuate.

https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire/

There are no information updates from the ACRD or BCWildfire yet this morning. We hopefully have until tomorrow before the wind and weather shifts and strong Inlet/Southerly winds could return.

The weather overnight was not great. DId not go below 20ºC. It will be very hot today.

Stay safe and prepare today. Links to Grab and Go stuff are on the page.

#bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

2:45PM Aug 12 – Underwood Fire Updates – 1400 hectares – Wind light Variable. Fire 9.2km away

Critical Links The link to this post is now: https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire ACRD posting updates on the Voyent Alert App ACRD Mount Underwood Fire webpage with Evac Orders. ACRD Emergency Facebook Updates. BC Wildfire page for Mt. Underwood Fire. Make a Grab and Go Bag Make your Home Fire Safe Listen to the Peak Radio. Live Weather...

Alberniweather
definitely looks like less activity this morning, but it is starting to rise again over the ridge #bcwildfire #chinacreek #portalberni

House Preparation.
Doing regular watering ✅
Weed wacked tall grass ✅
About to mow/mulch.

Will lay out sprinker for house defence when the watering is done.

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

8AM update is up. - Now is the time to Prepare your Home, your Family in case the fire turns toward Port Alberni.

No updates from the ACRD or BCWildfire yet. The weather conditions are getting very hot and dry very quickly. I expect the fire will be very very dangerous again today but moving away from Port Alberni thanks to NNW winds continuing this morning.

Hope those winds continue as long as possible.

https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire/

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

2:45PM Aug 12 – Underwood Fire Updates – 1400 hectares – Wind light Variable. Fire 9.2km away

Critical Links The link to this post is now: https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire ACRD posting updates on the Voyent Alert App ACRD Mount Underwood Fire webpage with Evac Orders. ACRD Emergency Facebook Updates. BC Wildfire page for Mt. Underwood Fire. Make a Grab and Go Bag Make your Home Fire Safe Listen to the Peak Radio. Live Weather...

Alberniweather

it is going big now as the sun rises and humidity goes down. 🔥

BCWF should have a perimeter estimate out soon.

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

Good News:
BCWF has updated their map with a perimeter of the fire.

Good news, it has not come much closer, if at all, to Port Alberni. All growth has been toward the southeast (thanks to the NNW wind!)

Current distance from the corner of Anderson Ave and Ship Creek Road in Port Alberni to the fire edge:

9.7km

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

11:20AM Update
Fire now over 850 hectares. Moving south and east away from Port Alberni. Still very active. I have included a new Weather Forecast.

Today and Tomorrow will be the most difficult as it is still supposed to be very hot. Feels like 40 today and 32 tomorrow.

There is rain expected on Thursday evening but not until after a long period of south easterly winds that could push the fire toward Port Alberni.
https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire/

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

2:45PM Aug 12 – Underwood Fire Updates – 1400 hectares – Wind light Variable. Fire 9.2km away

Critical Links The link to this post is now: https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire ACRD posting updates on the Voyent Alert App ACRD Mount Underwood Fire webpage with Evac Orders. ACRD Emergency Facebook Updates. BC Wildfire page for Mt. Underwood Fire. Make a Grab and Go Bag Make your Home Fire Safe Listen to the Peak Radio. Live Weather...

Alberniweather

ACRD has released its first evacuation order due to the fire from roughly the China Creek Campground to the Franklin River shops and Cameron Main Line logging road (between Bamfield Road and Nitinat.

New ACRD Underwood Fire with updated information.

I believe most if not all of these areas were evacuated by last night.

https://www.acrd.bc.ca/mount-underwood-wildfire

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

wind has shifted to the south, just a light breeze, but enough to drag smoke up the inlet into town. Smells.

Alberniweather
37°C
28% RH
SW 8kph

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

to the recycledepot with the bad flammables that have been hanging out in the yard for too long, #bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni
Update: now 1391 hectares (doubled since 10PM last night) but appears to be moving away from populations #bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

1:30PM Update - 1400 hectares now.

Air quality worsening.
Extremely hot in the Valley.
Wind light and variable. Dragging smoke into harbour.

Stay safe out there, continue making preparations as best you can.

Fire is still burning at Rank 4 and 5.
https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire/

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

2:45PM Aug 12 – Underwood Fire Updates – 1400 hectares – Wind light Variable. Fire 9.2km away

Critical Links The link to this post is now: https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire ACRD posting updates on the Voyent Alert App ACRD Mount Underwood Fire webpage with Evac Orders. ACRD Emergency Facebook Updates. BC Wildfire page for Mt. Underwood Fire. Make a Grab and Go Bag Make your Home Fire Safe Listen to the Peak Radio. Live Weather...

Alberniweather

To see conditions over the past day, go to the Almanac
https://www.alberniweather.ca/almanac-view/
or Neo VIew
https://www.alberniweather.ca/neo-view/

One graph I am watching there is the Wind Direction. You can see that from just after noon yesterday to nightfall, it is steadily from the NE (15ºC).

The Vector graph shows the predominant direction in the past day.

However, since sundown yesterday, winds have been light and much more variable.

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

2PM Update

9.2km from town (about 200m closer)
Wind seems to be predominantly W or SW at the moment.

https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire/

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

2:45PM Aug 12 – Underwood Fire Updates – 1400 hectares – Wind light Variable. Fire 9.2km away

Critical Links The link to this post is now: https://www.alberniweather.ca/underwoodfire ACRD posting updates on the Voyent Alert App ACRD Mount Underwood Fire webpage with Evac Orders. ACRD Emergency Facebook Updates. BC Wildfire page for Mt. Underwood Fire. Make a Grab and Go Bag Make your Home Fire Safe Listen to the Peak Radio. Live Weather...

Alberniweather

Squadron of 4 Fireboss skimmers now actioning the fire.

Looks like they are taking water from the Alberni Inlet.

It is not lost on ANYONE in Port Alberni that we are one day after the August 11 2024 anniversary of the Hawaii Mars water bomber being officially flown to a museum. The Phillipine Mars was sent to Arizona a few months later.

Sigh…

https://www.flightradar24.com/49.13,-124.85/10

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

Looks like the main aerial attack effort is trying to protect the Franklin River log sort. This is south of the China Creek marina on the Alberni Inlet at the mouth of Franklin River. #bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

Environment Canada has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Inland Vancouver Island including Port Alberni. May also impact Lake Cowichan, Tofino, Ucluelet, Bamfield, Nitinat.

(Ironically, the wind has turned around again and is a steady breeze about 8kph from the NE. Air quality has improved in the City for now.

https://aqwarnings.gov.bc.ca/warnings/2025-08-12_wildfire_smoke_issue.html

#bcwildfire #underwoodFire #portalberni

Air Quality Warning - Wildfire Smoke – Air quality warnings

@alberniweather I'm kinda stunned that at 11 last night it was about 650 ha, and as of 2:30 today it's almost 1400.
@alberniweather the rust adds a certain flair to the paint though!
@alberniweather Can see the top of this from the ferry down here in the Seattle area. ☹️ Stay safe!
@Nshrubs wow! Really!? Do you have a picture?
@alberniweather It didn't show up well enough in a crappy iphone photo - not enough contrast with the smoke already in the air - but there were no clouds in the sky except the top of this one (I'm assuming a pyrocumulus) peeking out over the end of the Olympic Peninsula (about Port Townsend area, I think).
@Nshrubs wow, that would be quite something if it is visible from there!
@alberniweather Edmonds/Kingston ferry, so north of downtown Seattle.
@alberniweather This evening we could see the smoke plume from the fire over Mt. Baker. ☹️
@alberniweather stay safe and hope for relief
@alberniweather Be smart and be SAFE ... GO ..GET OUT BEFORE IT IS HARDER TO DO SO stay else where ...🙏
@Lstn2urmama don't worry, we will be watching like a hawk. We have a few places to go, near, and further away. At this point I'm focused on giving people information, but family and personal safety is always paramount. :)
@alberniweather Stay safe .. too many have perished all over the world trying to escape ...
@alberniweather holy SHIT - stay safe, I'd be getting out early, beat the exodus

@alberniweather WOW, that's a big one. Much bigger than the official 100 acres they have up right now. Stay safe!

https://wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/incidents?fireYear=2025&incidentNumber=V71498&source=map

BC Wildfire Service

BC Wildfire Service App

BC Wildfire Service
@alberniweather
Thanks, Chris
We are in South Port and gathering go bags and prepping yard and water tanks... Communicating with neighbours. This will NOT be a restful night.
Take care everyone
@ErinMC2 take care! I'm sure I won't be the only one up most the night.

@alberniweather THANK YOU - I called my brother there, and he's got the gobag started since my sister called him ten minutes before.

And unholy merde, BC wildfire service says this thing is bigger (as of 10:18 pm) than the Cameron Lake one got to. In like, about six hours.

I bet townsite parking is going to be a hassle if they evacuate China Creek RV.

@harmoniousanger np.
China Creek is evacuated. The road was quickly closed as it looks like the fire jumped across it early on.

All China Creek campers have been redirected to the Fall Fair grounds in Port Alberni. The ACRD has put this information out on the "Voyent Alert” app.

All evacuees are currently directed to the Athletic Hall in Port Alberni

@alberniweather As someone who grew up in Southern California, get ready to evacuate. Sleep in your clothes. Have slip on shoes by the bed. Have your pet carriers at the ready, with the door open. Have a full tank of gas in your car or have your car fully charged. Have the car packed with your important papers and luggage and food.

You will have precious little time to get out. Hopefully you won't have to, be prepared to anyway.

@somcak for sure. that is the message I'm putting out, and what we're doing too. thank you so much for thinking about us!