Huge fire that prompted evacuations in Sooke deemed accidental

Fire investigators have determined that a fire at a residential construction site in Sooke last week was started accidentally.

The fire erupted on the night of May 2 at a construction site at 6700 Steeple Chase.

The fire broke out after 9 p.m. on May 2 in a new building under construction on Steeple Chase.(Stephanie Bergeron)The homes that were being built are considered a "total loss," according to District of Sooke spokesperson Christina Moog.

Meanwhile, approximately 10 homes in the surrounding neighbourhood sustained damage, such as broken windows and melted siding roof vents, from the heat of the fire.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the blaze. One firefighter was monitored but was quickly deemed medically clear, according to Moog.

Approximately 30 firefighters and 10 fire department vehicles were called to the scene, as well as the Sooke RCMP, paramedics and FortisBC.

"The quick action of our emergency response teams prevented something that could have been a truly catastrophic event," said Sooke Mayor Maja Tait at the time.