VICTORIA -- Five wildfires are burning out of control on southern Vancouver Island Wednesday morning.
The largest of the fires is approximately seven hectares in size in the Meade Creek area north of Lake Cowichan.
A smaller wildfire is burning out of control just north of the Meade Creek fire at Rheinhart Creek. The fire was detected Monday and is believed to have been sparked by a large lightning storm over the South Island on Sunday night.
A 2.3-hectare fire continues to burn out of control west of Sooke Lake. According to the BC Wildfire Service, the fire was also sparked by a lightning strike Sunday.
A larger fire on the same side of the lake at Mount Healey is currently being held by wildland firefighters. The fire measures approximately six hectares in size, according to the wildfire service.
The Capital Regional District said Tuesday that the fires had not had any effect on water quality in the Sooke Lake Reservoir
“There is no imminent threat to the water supply or critical infrastructure,” said CRD spokesperson Andy Orr on Tuesday afternoon.
Two more fires in the Sooke Hills area continue to burn out of control. The Trap Mountain fires are each over a hectare in size and are also believed to have been sparked by lightning strikes Sunday.
Ten more fires burning on the South and Mid Island are in various states of control Wednesday morning. For a complete list of wildfires currently burning in B.C. and an interactive map of their locations, visit the BC Wildfire Service dashboard.
