A wildfire near Sooke grew from 50 hectares on Tuesday to 169 by Wednesday afternoon, with most of the growth occurring along the eastern flank away from populated areas. (BC Wildfire Service)

By Jordan Davidson

fire growth

Sooke wildfire triples in size, but fire growth moving away from populated areas

Jul 24, 2024 | 4:24 PM

NANAIMO — A wildfire burning on southern Vancouver Island has nearly doubled in size since the start of the week.

The Old Man Lake fire, burning around nine kilometres north of Sooke, is listed as out of control and increased in size to 169 hectares by the afternoon of Wednesday, July 24, up from 50 hectares late Tuesday, and 80 hectares reported Wednesday morning.

Information officer from the Coastal Fire Centre Sam Bellion said the growth can be attributed to unsuppressed flanks of the fire.

“More specifically, the north flank in that steep, inoperable ground. One of our initial challenges has been that thick smoke cover and the steep terrain which didn’t allow us to get a close look in the early hours of this fire.”

She said the priority for Wednesday was to direct air support to the southern flank of the fire, while fire growth appears to be avoiding populated areas, at least for now.

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“There are watersheds within five and one kilometres of that area, however growth on this fire is trending towards the eastern flank, or the head of the fire, away from any infrastructure values in the area.”

Bellion said there are three helicopters and four initial attack crews, along with fire crews from the Capital Regional District.

“We have that air support and aviation who are assisting trying to get into those more challenging areas on the north and south flanks.”

The Old Man Lake fire north of Sooke continues to burn out of control, as smoke begins to snake it’s way up Vancouver Island. (BC Wildfire Service)

As of Wednesday afternoon, the BC Wildfire Service said their crews are focusing on the most threatening of the 434 wildfires currently active, with the majority on the mainland sparked by lightning strikes in recent days.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said there are about 550 people under evacuation order and another 5,000 under evacuation alert as of Wednesday.

She said those numbers are currently “manageable” for the province and while the situation could change very quickly, it is seeing “nowhere near” the number of evacuations it did in 2023.

Air quality statements are in effect for nearly two dozen regions and communities due to widespread wildfire smoke, stretching from Fort Nelson down to the Prince George and Kamloops areas, as well as the Kootenays and Greater Victoria.

Most of Vancouver Island has been spared from the smokey skies as favourable easterly winds push the smoke toward the mainland, but those conditions could change with a shift in weather patterns.

The only other fire listed on Vancouver Island is an under control spark at the Harmac facility in Duke Point, south of Nanaimo.

— with files from Jon De Roo/97.3 The Eagle and The Canadian Press.

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