Fire officials say a wildfire that broke out in West Saanich near Willis Point Road on Saturday appears to be suspicious.
According to the Saanich Fire Department, more than a dozen firefighters from several departments responded to the blaze.
The Coastal Fire Centre assisted with an attack crew of three firefighters, one officer and one helicopter.
One fire chief said it was quickly contained and didn’t even reach a hectare, but the overall fight was a challenge.
“It was fairly significant because it was difficult to find and it was starting to spread,” CFB Esquimalt Battalian Chief Mark Crisp said. “Everything’s very dry and the wind was coming up.”
The fire was also on rugged terrain that backs onto the property that people would know as the DND rifle range.
While it has been contained, the work isn’t over.
“It’s very deep-seeded, so once they take the trees down we’re going to have to get down and dig, bring up roots,” Crisp said. “It’s very dry underneath so to stop it from spreading we’re probably going to have to have a crew here through the night to make sure it doesn’t rekindle.”
Residents called the fire in around 6:30 a.m. after smelling smoke.
A local pilot flying over the area helped fire crews find the exact location of the blaze.
Fire officials said it appeared the fire may have been “smoldering for a while” by the time they got there.
The cause is unknown, but officials say it appears to be suspicious and an investigation will follow.
