Fire crews and parks staff are on the scene of a human-caused beach fire on Chatham Island, off Oak Bay, says the Coastal Fire Centre’s Donna McPherson.
The centre and Parks Canada responded to reports of smoke coming from the island Friday morning, she said.
“It’s a small spark fire, it’s 10 metres by 30 metres in size,” McPherson said. “Parks Canada had arrived already on a boat before our crews got there and have been working on the fire.
“We sent an initial-attack crew and a helicopter.”
She said the fire was just smouldering by 11:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, news is positive at the ongoing Tugwell Creek wildfire near Sooke, McPherson said.
“Things went really well,” she said. “The crews worked almost until midnight last night.
“The containment is now up to 70 per cent, which is terrific.”
That’s up from 50 per cent containment Thursday afternoon.
McPherson said the fire has been determined to human-caused, but it is not known exactly how it started.
She said the fire has been settling down.
“The fire is very quiet this morning, it’s just smoking ground.”
The fire remains 84 hectares in size and there is still a contingent of 74 people at the site.
Water continues to be brought in to the fire because there are no creeks or lakes around to draw from, McPherson said. Five helicopters and four pieces of heavy equipment are currently in use.
McPherson said things are also going well at the Rush Creek fire near Nanaimo. Twenty-three firefighters continue to fight the blaze, which is being held at 14 hectares.
Their progress is allowing them to work about 30 metres in from the fire’s perimeter.
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