Officials say a wildfire near Bamberton that halted traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway for hours is likely human-caused.

The blaze broke out around Trowsse Road near Bamberton Provincial Park early Thursday afternoon, according to officials.

It grew to 1.4 hectares and caused northbound lanes of the highway to be shut down after embers sparked a second fire on the other side of the busy route.

Forty firefighters from four departments attacked on the ground with three helicopters and an air tanker striking from the sky.

They managed to contain the first fire on Thursday night, and it was still in the mop-up stage Friday.

The second blaze, about 1.45 hectares in size, was 90 per cent contained as of Friday evening.

“We’re experiencing pretty good depth of burn here, so it’s a long process of cooling it down, digging down and cooling it down again, and then reassessing,” said BC Wildfire Service firefighter Dimitri Baisius.

Level three drought conditions for Vancouver Island were no help to crews either, prolonging the fight.

“It significantly extends the time it takes to actually call a fire out,” Baisius said.

But the efforts of hard-working firefighters in extremely hot conditions didn’t go unnoticed by Vancouver Island residents.

Mill Bay’s fire chief said he’s seen an outpouring of support.

“We just had our crew pick up some food and water from Thrifty’s and a gentleman behind our firefighters who were ready to pay for it took up the bill,” said Ron Beck. “That makes us keep wanting to do this job.”

Beck said crews lucked out with wind conditions on Thursday, and had it been windier – the blaze could’ve grown much faster.

While an exact cause hasn’t been determine, authorities believe it was likely human-caused.

“I will say this is the second fire that's been at this property,” said Daniel Taudin-Chabot with the B.C. Forest Service.

Hot and dry conditions have prompted sweeping campfire bans around Vancouver island, with the exception of the fog zone near Tofino.

Since the wildfire season began in April, the BC Wildfire Service says it has responded to some 936 wildfires – almost half of them human-caused.