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Brushfire in East Sooke Park leads to some trail closures

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Some trails in East Sooke Park were closed Monday morning as firefighters attended a brushfire.

The fire was reported by a fisherman around 6:45 a.m. near the Aylard Farm parking lot, according to East Sooke Fire Chief Carl Nielson.

The brushfire was relatively small when it was first reported, but grew to about half an acre by the time firefighters arrived since it was difficult to access the remote location of the blaze.

Firefighting equipment is seen at a staging area at Parkheights Drive and Leda Road near the brushfire at East Sooke Park. Aug. 29, 2022 (CTV News)

By Monday morning, the fire was considered contained. Nielson expects the fire will be extinguished sometime Monday afternoon.

Some trails that access the area have been temporarily closed by the Capital Regional District until firefighters are finished with the scene.

It's not yet clear what started the fire, but Nielson suspects it was caused by human activity, such as a campfire or smoking.

He added that since the fire was reported early in the morning, glass wouldn't have been a risk factor at that time of day.

"With the recent heat and lack of precipitation, it’s pretty dry out there," Nielson said Monday morning.

"We have extreme risk right now for wildfires," he cautioned. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver Island's Yvonne Raymond.

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