Near Campbell River in Strathcona, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

Campbell River Fire

B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), June 15, 2016

1. Campbell River Fire Marker

Inscription. On a hot day in July 1938, an ominous smoke pillar near Gosling Lake signalled a forest fire which was to ravage 115 square miles of logged and timbered land. Over 1500 firefighters battled grimly for weeks to save timber and communities. Costs and damages were enormous. Reforestation, intensified by the Forest Service, helped to heal the black scar.

Erected 1966 by Province of British Columbia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Environment • Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1938.

Location. 50° 2.329′ N, 125° 19.814′ W. Marker is near Campbell River, British Columbia, in Strathcona. Marker can be reached from Elk Falls Park Road, 0.2 kilometers north of Brewster Lake Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in Elk Falls Provincial Park and Protected Area, near the restrooms in the parking area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Campbell River BC V0P 1N0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 13 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Seymour Narrows (approx. 8.2 kilometers away); Passage by Sail (approx. 12.8 kilometers away).

Also see . . .
1. Bloedel Fire (Sayward) 1938.

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Pictorial slideshow of the fire, its aftermath and the reforestation effort. (Published by Rudolf Wilson) (Submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. The Day the Sayward Died. British Columbia Forest Service film about the 1938 Bloedel forest fire. (Submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. Darkness at Noon - The Bloedel Fire of 1938 (PDF). In-depth, day-by-day report on the fire. (John Parminter, British Columbia Forest Service Research Branch, October 1994) , (Submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Campbell River Fire aftermath image. Click for full size.

British Columbia Forest Service (Public domain)

2. Campbell River Fire aftermath

The remains of Forbes Landing Resort after the fire swept through.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 177 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.