Crews battling out-of-control wildfire in the Cowichan Valley

Fire crews in the Cowichan Valley are working to control a late-season wildfire burning about 10 kilometres west of Duncan.

The BC Wildfire Service has 16 firefighters, a helicopter and two water tenders attacking the blaze, which has been dubbed the Cowichan River Fire, according to Julia Caranci, fire information officer for the Coastal Fire Centre.

The wildfire is estimated at 4.1 hectares in size, Caranci said. That's an increase from the size estimate given when the blaze first sparked Saturday, but Caranci said some of that growth is due to more accurate mapping.

"(Firefighters are) making good progress," she said, noting that the fire didn't challenge the containment lines crews had established overnight.

Though it's still considered "out of control," the fire currently poses no threat to human life or critical infrastructure, Caranci said.

The cause of the fire is unknown, according to the wildfire service's online dashboard. 

The Cowichan River Fire follows a warning from the provincial Ministry of Forests that drought conditions in much of the province have extended the wildfire season.

Normally, B.C. receives "season-ending rain" in September or early October, Caranci said. This year, that hasn't happened yet, and the wildfire service has seen more new fires sparking than it typically would at this time of year as a result.

Though the risk of new fires on Vancouver Island remains high, Caranci said conditions for fighting them are better now than in the summer, even with the lack of rain.

"It's very different fighting wildfires in October than it is in August," she said, noting that longer, cooler nights and shorter days tend to lead to reduced fire behaviour, which helps firefighters.

Several regions of B.C., including West Vancouver Island, are in Level 5 drought – the highest level on the provincial scale, meaning adverse impacts are "almost certain" – and high-temperature records have been set across the province almost every day this month. 

While cooler temperatures are forecast for Monday, very little precipitation is expected, and high winds are expected to contribute to wildfire risk, according to the ministry.