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West Banon Wildfire
Updated May 28, 2026 at 11:09 am

BC Wildfire Service and Emergency Management Cowichan are responding to a wildfire that developed in the early hours of May 1, 2026 on the slopes of Mount Brenton near the communities of Ladysmith and Chemainus. The fire started at 20 hectares in size and as of 1410 had grown to 500 hectares.

Highway 1 is closed between Davis and Henry. Use Chemainus Road as a detour.

Stay out of the area. If you are in the area, please leave.

Stay tuned to local media for updates. Sign up for Alertable.

Evacuation Orders

The Evacuation Order is in effect for the following areas:
All properties on:
1. Panorama Ridge Road
2. Panorama Crescent
3. Winget Place
4. South Watts Road
5. Thicke Road
6. Westdowne Road
7. Peerless Road
All properties part of:
1. Town & Country Mobile Home Park

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Current Burning Permissions
Open burning—or burning outdoors—is allowed when the wildfire risk is low and can be a useful tool when conducted responsibly. Open burning includes Category 1 campfire, Category 2, and Category 3 open fire.
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Regional Water Use Restrictions
During drought conditions, your water system operator may introduce water use restrictions to conserve limited water supplies. There are four stages of water restrictions which are coordinated across the Cowichan Valley. Local conditions may sometimes require a higher stage of water restrictions on certain systems.
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