A wildfire at Sooke Potholes Regional Park first reported on Monday has grown to 30 hectares and is still burning out of control, says the Coastal Fire Centre.
The fire, initially reported as three hectares in size, was first spotted at 3 p.m. on Monday east of Sooke River, in the northeast section of the park. Visitors and campers in the area were evacuated as a precaution, and the park was closed.
Sam Bellion, fire information officer for Coastal Fire Centre, said the fire grew overnight due to sustained winds. “The winds did blow away some of the smoke, giving us a better aerial view of the fire.”
She said that there are three attack crews on site — consisting of 15 B.C. Wildfire Service personnel — as well as 10 CRD contractors.
A number of fixed-wing planes and helicopters are assisting but Bellion said the steep terrain where the fire is burning restricts their effectiveness.
The fire is believed to be human-caused.
The Sooke Fire Department was the first to respond to the fire but quickly determined additional resources were necessary.
Sooke Mayor Maja Tait said the fire is located in a “very challenging” area. “Crews have been working throughout the night with at least three helicopters.”
She said a call had been made to deploy water tankers but the steep terrain does not make it the most ideal suppression tactic.
An emergency command centre has been set up for resources sent by the municipality’s mutual-aid partners. Municipal employees have been told it’s “all hands on deck” to aid in the firefighting efforts, Tait said.
There are no structures in the area, but Spring Salmon Place Campground, operated by the T’Sou-ke First Nation, was evacuated as a precaution, said the District of Sooke.
Sooke’s Monday night council meeting was cancelled so municipal staff could concentrate on providing support needed for firefighters or community safety, said Sooke spokesperson Christina Moog.
In the Bamberton area, a brush fire over the weekend that’s believed to have been human-caused prompted renewed warnings about dry conditions on the south Island.
Mill Bay Fire Rescue Chief Chris McInerney said the fire on Sunday was caught in its early stages thanks to a report from boaters in Saanich Inlet about 6 p.m.
He said fires can spread quickly with so little moisture in the ground. “If there’s a little bit of a wind or something that picks up, it makes it even worse.”
McInerney urged the public to be vigilant and report anything that could be a sign of a fire.
Weather for much of the Island is expected to be sunny and warm for most of the week, although temperatures are likely to be in the low 20s, closer to seasonal averages.
Duncan, Nanaimo and Courtenay all have a chance of showers on Wednesday.
The only other Vancouver Island fire on the Coastal Fire Centre map is a small blaze on the grounds of the Harmac mill at Duke Point that is also believed to be human-caused.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue led the initial suppression efforts, which are now in the hands of mill staff.
A fire in a motorhome Sunday afternoon on Highway 19 north of Lantzville and a Duncan structure fire Saturday evening that is being treated as suspicious were both extinguished.
Bellion said parts of the south Island continue to have an “extreme” fire-danger rating.
Rain in the area on Sunday wasn’t enough to affect the rating, she said, but a section of the mid-Island dropped from a high to moderate rating after a more extended rainy period on Sunday and on Monday morning.
Bellion said aside from bringing the fire-danger rating down, sustained rain can make a dent in the “duff” moisture code, which refers to materials below the top layer of the forest floor.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said it relies on the public to help detect new wildfires.
Anyone who sees a wildfire is asked to report it by calling 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cellphone, or via the B.C. Wildfire Service app, the service said.
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