‘A devastating loss’: Fire destroys parts of historic boardwalk in Vancouver Island’s Telegraph Cove | CBC News

Parts of the historic boardwalk in Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island were destroyed by a large fire, the Port McNeill Fire Rescue said Tuesday morning.

The fire department issued a public safety announcement asking people who were going to the area to watch the fire to stay away as it was hindering the efforts of crews to extinguish it.

“This is a devastating loss to 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 released.

Telegraph Cove is a picturesque village with a population of 20 people, located about 200 kilometres northwest of Campbell River. 

The area as it’s known today, featuring multicoloured buildings and homes that sit on the shoreline, was built on an old sawmill town, according to the Telegraph Cove Resort.

A boardwalk stretching about 240 metres was built, the resort said, and the original houses and buildings from the sawmill were restored and are now used to accommodate tourists.

Telegraph Cove was also home to B.C.’s first whale-watching company, which began operating in 1980.

Around 9 a.m. PT, the Port McNeill department said the fire was burning under the boardwalk, which was making it difficult for firefighters to extinguish. 

It said it’s working with other fire departments in the surrounding area. The Telegraph Cove Art Gallery said it wasn’t affected by the fire.