Wildfire long quenched but Bamfield's main link to the rest of B.C. remains closed

On Aug. 11, the main vehicle access to the remote Vancouver Island community of Bamfield was cut off by wildfire.

More than two months later, the fire is long out, but the road closure remains and residents are becoming impatient.

Bamfield Main Road connects Bamfield, Anacla and other remote communities on Vancouver Island's west coast to Port Alberni, providing access to doctor appointments, shopping and other essentials. Typically, the trip along the unpaved route takes 60 to 90 minutes.

But when the Mount Underwood wildfire broke out, that road had to be closed because of a blaze raging nearby. Residents of the Bamfield area were without power for weeks as the fire damaged BC Hydro equipment and the only ways to get outside of the area were by boat or through a lengthy forestry road