Parts of the historic boardwalk and several buildings at Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island were destroyed by a large fire, Port McNeill Fire Rescue said Tuesday.
The fire department issued a public safety announcement asking people heading to the area to watch the fire to stay away as it hindered crews’ efforts to extinguish it.
“This is a devastating loss for the North Island,” the department wrote on social media.
A photo of the fire shared by the department shows what appears to be a restaurant engulfed in flames. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Telegraph Cove is a quaint town with a population of 20 people, located about 200 kilometers northwest of Campbell River.
The area as it is known today, with multi-colored buildings and houses located on the coast, was built on a former sawmill town, according to Telegraph Cove Resort.
A promenade of about 240 meters was built, according to the resort, and the original houses and buildings of the sawmill were restored and are now used to accommodate tourists.
Telegraph Cove was also home to The first of B.C. whale watching company, which began operating in 1980, as well as bear watching tours, kayaking, fishing and camping. It was once the site of a thriving sawmill and salmon cannery.
“This is a huge impact for the entire North Island,” Port McNeill Mayor James Furney said. “Telegraph Cove has been our main tourist attraction here for many years.”
Furney said Telegraph Cove’s whale watching tours continued to attract tourists from as far away as Europe and its history as a sawmill and center for global humpback whale research made it a unique location.
“It’s been down before. And I’m very hopeful and optimistic that with a little luck and good support, it can be rebuilt because it really is a great icon,” he said.
Around 9 a.m. PT, the Port McNeill department said the fire was burning beneath the boardwalk, making it difficult for firefighters to extinguish.
He said he was working with other fire departments in the surrounding area. At around 11:30 a.m., the Alert Bay Fire Department said it was moving to clear hot spots in the area.
Port Hardy Fire Chief Brent Borg was one of the people called to help fight the fire. He said a restaurant, a pub and a house were among the buildings lost to the fire.
“There’s no one there. Like the whole place is closed for the winter,” he said when asked about the cause of the fire. “So there’s a building maintenance guy there, and the owner is there, and there’s really no one else there. So they’re a little flabbergasted.”
The Telegraph Cove Art Gallery said it was not affected by the fire.
Denise Bastian, from the gallery, said the complex was “devastated” by the fire, which started around 5.20am.
“The flames were higher than the trees and the fire was very, very hot, a very red glow in the sky,” he said. “All the residents around the complex, a small community here, were waking each other up and getting each other out of bed to make sure everyone was safe.”
Telegraph Cove Resort said in a statement that there were no guests on site at the time of the fire and that the property was closed for the season.
“There is no access to the property and we ask that you do not attempt to enter the property for safety reasons,” it said on its website.
“We are cooperating with local authorities and emergency fire services, who have brought the fire under control and will assess the damage and determine the cause.”
Gordie Graham, who spent decades building the complex, says he milled lumber for the project himself, transforming the small community that was once home to a sawmill and salmon cannery.
But now, much of that creation, founded with his wife Marilyn in 1979, has disappeared.
Also lost in the fire was the boardwalk’s Whale Interpretation Educational Center, a museum that housed numerous specimens, including a 20-meter fin whale skeleton.
“This resort is not just a business for us: it is our home, our history and our legacy,” Graham said in a statement released by the resort.
“My wife and I are about to retire. We are devastated to watch our life’s work, which I milled and built with my own hands, go up in flames. While we are grateful that no one was injured in the fire, we are experiencing one of our worst nightmares.”
The resort said losses included the Old Saltery Pub, the Killer Whale Café, the Wastell Manor heritage house, the offices of the Prince of Whales whale watching business and staff accommodation.
David Summers, director of the Mount Waddington Regional District, said the loss of the Whale Interpretation Center was a tremendous blow.
“That whale museum, I mean, it was spectacular. It had skeletons of all kinds of whales, marine mammals and sea lions… people come from all over the world to go there,” Summers said.
Summers, 72, said he also has many fond memories of working as a fishing guide when he was 20 in Telegraph Cove.
He said the district was waiting for government help to rebuild.
