A wildfire burning in a remote area between Sooke and Shirley is now “being held,” the BC Wildfire Service said Thursday.
The fire, located near Tugwell Creek, was first spotted on Tuesday evening.
The wildfire was initially estimated to be 1.5 hectares large, and grew to about 1.85 hectares by Thursday.
Two firefighting crews initially tackled the blaze Tuesday evening, alongside a helicopter and an air tanker.
Efforts were dialed back to just ground crews and heavy equipment on Wednesday, with crews building guards around the fire, according to fire information officer Nick Donnelly.
The crews “continued direct attack on the fire to get to its current ‘being held’ status,” said Donnelly on Thursday.
There are currently 12 firefighting personnel and one water tender assigned to the fire.
The fire is suspected to be human caused, and no structures have been threatened by the flames.
As of Thursday morning, there are 348 active wildfires burning across B.C.
So far this year, nearly 1,600 wildfires have been reported in the province, marking a busy and deadly wildfire season.
In July, four wildfire firefighters died on the job across Canada, including two in British Columbia.
The wildfire location is shown on Aug. 1, 2023. (BC Wildfire Service)
Adam Chan
