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Nanaimo wildfire well-reported

A small wildfire in a gravel pit at the end of Weigles Road early Tuesday was highly visible to area residents.

A small wildfire in a gravel pit at the end of Weigles Road early Tuesday was highly visible to area residents.

Donna MacPherson, spokeswoman for the Coastal Fire Centre, said the centre recorded 15 separate call-ins from the public about the blaze, which turned out to be piles of forest debris burning in a gravel pit near the Wastelands Motocross Track.

“It’s just basically a big campfire,” said MacPherson. “It was throwing up quite a smoke column and some flame.”

A two-person crew was sent to the fire around 2 a.m.

Crews were on scene all day Tuesday and Wednesday ensuring the fire did not spread to the nearby forest and working with the landowner on a strategy for putting the piles out, said MacPherson.

“They’re big piles and they’re still smouldering underneath,” she said.

The fire was human caused and is under investigation, MacPherson added.