Vancouver Island wildfire grows overnight, remains out of control

The Old Man Lake fire in the Sooke Potholes Regional Park grew to 80 hectares Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (B.C. Wildfire Service)

A wildfire burning out of control on Vancouver Island continued to spread Wednesday as the provincial wildfire service assigned more resources to try to contain the blaze.

The Old Man Lake fire in the Sooke Potholes Regional Park, west of Victoria, grew to 169 hectares Wednesday night, blanketing southern Vancouver Island and parts of B.C.'s Lower Mainland with smoke.

The fire was discovered Monday afternoon, when it measured just three hectares, and is believed to be human-caused. By Tuesday, the fire had grown to 50 hectares, forcing the closure and evacuation of the park area.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said five ground-attack crews and three helicopters were dousing the flames Wednesday. A 10-person crew from the Capital Regional District was also working to contain the blaze.

"This fire is burning in steep and challenging terrain," Julia Caranci, a spokesperson for the wildfire service's Costal Fire Centre, said in an update, referring to the fire as "an emerging incident."

Firefighting aircraft have been using nearby Shawnigan Lake to refill their water holds, prompting the wildfire service to warn boaters to keep their distance from the aircraft.

"All boaters are required to dock immediately if aircraft are operating on the lake as any obstruction to approach, filling and departures will cause the mission to be aborted," the wildfire service said in a statement.

The Sooke fire was one of 260 wildfires classified as out of control in B.C. Wednesday afternoon as more than 400 wildfires burned across the province.

A smoky skies bulletin has been issued for southern Vancouver Island due to the nearby blaze. Environment Canada warns that wildfire smoke contains fine particles, which can pose health risks for vulnerable people.