UPDATE: One lane of Sooke Road reopened as crews mop up after putting out Metchosin brush fire

Firefighters attempt to put out a brush fire on Sooke Road on July 12. 

UPDATE: One lane on Sooke Road has reopened and all residents have been allowed to return home following a brush fire in Metchosin.

One home was damaged Wednesday after a fast-moving brush fire broke out in the 4100 block of Sooke Road. 

RAW VIDEO: Jono McGee captured this video of flames and smoke while driving on Sooke Road after a brush fire broke out around 3:30 p.m. Caution: Strong Language.

At around 5:20 p.m. West Shore RCMP said they were evacuating all homes in the area. By 6 p.m., Metchosin Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop said the fire was 100 per cent contained and firefighters were dealing with small spot fires. 

We're working into evacuating all homes in the area. Your patience and collaboration is greatly appreciated. Let's work together. #yyj

— West Shore RCMP (@WestshoreRCMP) July 13, 2017

Please avoid Sooke Rd, let emergency crews room to travel. Not the time to be curious and go check it out. Follow news feeds instead. #yyj

— West Shore RCMP (@WestshoreRCMP) July 12, 2017

Fire crews were called to the out-of-control fire in the 4100 block of Sooke Road in Metchosin, near WestCoast Tire & Wheel around 3:30 p.m.  West Shore RCMP, the Metchosin Fire Department and four other fire departments were all at the scene of the fire. There were a total of 25 firefighters, six forestry firefighters and one helicopter to bucket water onto the blaze. 

A house and a smaller house/cabin caught fire. Two residents safely escaped. The main house was fine but the smaller house is expected to be a total loss as the roof caught fire from the forested area. 

Staff at WestCoast Tire & Wheel said some staff members tried to use fire extinguishers to try and control the fire until firefighters arrived. At its peak, the fire was two kilometres at length and was 400 to 800 feet (121 to 243 metres) in the bush. There were no fire hydrants in the area. 

Eleven kilometres of Highway 14 is closed in both directions from Gillespie Road, east of Sooke to Happy Valley Road in Langford.  Motorists are being asked to avoid the area. The detour is via Happy Valley Road to Rocky Point Road to Gillespie Road. The fire is expected to reopen in two to three hours. 

CLOSED – #BCHWY14 due to Forest Fire, Detour via Happy Valley Rd to Rocky Point Rd to Gillespie Rd. more info – https://t.co/MQNOonHc50

— Drive BC (@DriveBC) July 12, 2017

Premier-designate John Horgan thanked firefighters on Twitter for fighting the brush fire. 

My thanks to crews tackling today’s brush fire on Sooke Road. To report a new #BCWildfire near you, call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on mobile.

— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) July 13, 2017

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Firefighters attempt to put out a brush fire on Sooke Road on July 12. 

Firefighters attempt to put out a brush fire on Sooke Road on July 12. 

A helicopter flies overhead after a brush fire broke out on Sooke Road. 

 

Caught a fire just starting on the side of the road outside of Sooke BC. When we got there it had jumped in several spots, and in the time it took to dial 911 it spread up the hill and an entire tree just sort of exploded. When it’s dry and windy a fire can get out of control really quickly. Emergency crews are on scene. (We left.) Listening to the radio now, they’re calling it a large brush fire that is spreading very fast.

A post shared by @laughedkitiara on Jul 12, 2017 at 4:10pm PDT

More to come

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