Nearly 20,000 residents in western Canada remain on alert as a massive wildfire engulfs Mount Underwood, looming over the city of Port Alberni in British Columbia. The blaze, classified as “out of control” by provincial authorities, has sent thick smoke across the region and raised fears of possible evacuations.
“This is one of the biggest fires we’ve ever seen,” said 69-year-old local resident Russ Wetas, who has lived in Port Alberni since 1956. The city lies just 10 kilometres from the fire’s edge.
The Mount Underwood blaze is part of a wider crisis, with more than 700 wildfires burning across Canada, including 161 considered out of control. The country has already lost 7.4 million hectares to fire this year—an area nearly the size of Panama—making 2025 its second-worst wildfire season since records began in 1983.
Fires have triggered evacuations as far away as Newfoundland and Labrador, while major urban areas like Halifax in Nova Scotia also face threats. Smoke has spread across North America, even drifting to Europe, prompting widespread air quality alerts.
Experts link the surge in wildfire activity to climate change, citing hotter temperatures, shorter winters, and drier conditions—even in coastal regions like Vancouver Island, which historically saw little fire activity.
“It’s insane how huge it is,” said Ted Hagard, a local paper mill worker, as he watched the flames from across a nearby lake.
