Drawing from Cameron Bluffs Fire Learnings to Protect Forests, People and Communities
Press Release
April 3, 2025
In 2023 there were 41 wildfires on Mosaic’s land base, including the one at Cameron Bluffs. 70% of those were human caused.
Person-caused wildfires—like those started by a discarded cigarette, an improperly extinguished campfire, or arson—continue to cause the most fires and the most damage on Vancouver Island. It’s because they often occur close to where people live and travel. This was the case with the Cameron Bluffs wildfire, which began near Port Alberni, B.C. in June, 2023 and grew to be over 200 hectares—the size of 377 football fields.
The wildfire started from a small, unattended campfire during a fire ban and resulted in dire effects for surrounding communities including the closure of a major highway connecting Port Alberni and parts of the West Coast to the rest of the Island. Initially shut down for weeks due to safety concerns, the highway also faced intermittent closures throughout the summer tourist season, leading to local economic losses estimated at $60 million.
As a private forest landowner, Mosaic has a vested interest in protecting our investments from fire while being a responsible neighbour to nearby communities. That’s why during fire season on Vancouver Island, which lasts from March 1 to October 31, we take extraordinary steps to prevent fires. The Cameron Bluffs wildfire began in Mosaic’s privately managed forests, activating our formal response systems, which includes key actions such as:
-
Use of a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) to allow us to efficiently monitor activities and infrastructure across vast and remote areas. The ability to view attributes like access roads and gates enhances resource management while the thermal mapping layer from satellite data can help identify wildfire activity.
-
Wildfire monitoring through our network of 38 fire weather stations, plus continuous ground and aerial patrol. Drones with heat sensing capabilities are also important, especially when terrain is steep and impassable.
-
Wildfire equipment ranging from fire trucks and water tenders to fire pumps, hose and hand tools. Mosaic firefighting equipment is compatible with the BC Wildfire Service. Our staff, contractors and Fire Wardens receive extra training for more efficient collaboration with the BC Wildfire Service and other emergency response teams.
-
We also cooperate with local and provincial officials. During the Cameron Bluffs wildfire, we worked alongside transportation authorities to support critical evacuation routes via Mosaic’s private roads and provided vehicle escorts to facilitate safe passage for agencies like the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
-
Keeping surrounding communities, First Nations, government, the public and other stakeholders continually informed and updated. For Cameron Bluffs, Mosaic also established an emergency access phone line and shared out information on its website and social pages.
“The forest is an asset—for Mosaic and the public alike. When the wildfire risk is high or extreme, no matter our proven firefighting techniques or prevention methods at hand, the best protection is to safeguard it,” says Jimmie Hodgson, Mosaic’s Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Forester. “In 2023 there were 41 wildfires on our land base. Of those, almost three quarters were human caused. It’s why road deactivations and gates are a critical line of defence when the risk is high, while ensuring access is always available to emergency response agencies.”
As we near the two-year anniversary of Cameron Bluffs, and with the start of the 2025 wildfire season already underway, we’re mindful that protecting our communities and our working forests requires vigilance, responsible behavior, and proactive measures. It can make all the difference.
If you see wildfire, report it by calling 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from your cell phone. You can also download the BC Wildfire Service app to view the interactive wildfire map, incident information, or to report a wildfire. For more on Mosaic’s response strategies, visit MosaicForests.com/Wildfire.
ILR5
