Crews quickly extinguished a small brush fire in Colwood over the long weekend near Olympic View Golf Course.
Colwood Fire Rescue was called at around 5:30 p.m. on Friday (June 30) about smoke coming from near the golf course, according to Assistant Fire Chief Greg Chow. Triangulating the location of the fire was initially challenging, but with the help of a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter flying overhead, fire crews were able to determine the fire was just north of the golf course.
With the amount of smoke in the air and the windy conditions, crews from Colwood, Langford and BC Forestry were sent to deal with the blaze, which was around 30-by-30 metres in size on top of a rock bluff. Chow said the fire was moving slow and crews were on scene for around three hours, successfully extinguishing the fire. There was no property damage or injuries.
Wildfire season is raging throughout Canada and Chow said the Colwood department has already dealt with several brush fires so far this year, which is “concerning” as their wildfire season usually doesn’t start until July.
Three days earlier, crews from Colwood joined View Royal and other departments at a half-acre fire in Thetis Lake Park on June 27.
Warmer and drier conditions are now ramping up, he added, noting that outdoor wood-burning fireplaces are currently banned with Colwood’s fire risk level at high – appliances that burn wood are banned when the rating is high or extreme.
Chow said the department has seen several fires in bark mulch caused by people throwing cigarette butts. He urged residents to use caution and call if they ever see smoke.