Firefighters say hotspots 'dug into the ground' at wildfire site near Victoria

A wildfire that ignited northwest of Victoria on Tuesday morning is now considered "held" Wednesday, according to the BC Wildfire Service, as firefighters continue to manage hotspots.

The roughly one-hectare blaze was spotted early Tuesday morning on the eastern shore of Finlayson Arm, north of Goldstream Provincial Park.

The fire was located in a hard-to-reach forested slope. Municipal firefighters used boats to access the fire while the BC Wildfire Service deployed three helicopters to assist ground crews.

On Wednesday afternoon, the BC Wildfire Service said the fire did not grow overnight, and that it is "not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under prevailing conditions."

Highlands Fire Rescue Chief Dean Ford says the fire is "dug into the ground" and is likely to continue smouldering because of dry conditions for quite some time.

"It's a lot of rotten rock and shale and things like that," Ford told CTV News. "You have these pits and roots and things, so it's really dug itself in there quite deep."

"We're literally having to dig up an entire hectare by hand and wet it down because there's absolutely no moisture in the ground right now," he added.

Crews with the BC Wildfire Service, Highlands Fire Rescue, Metchosin Fire Department and the Willis Point Volunteer Fire Department remain at the scene Wednesday.

About 20 firefighters are there looking for hotspots until the fire is fully extinguished.

The fire is believed to have started after a hiker got lost in the area and lit a campfire to stay warm.