Thursday August 15, 2024 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Following the wildfire near Sooke being declared by BC Wildfire Service as ‘under control’ on August 7, some park areas and trails have now been reopened by the Capital Regional District (CRD).
That includes official trails within the Sea to Sea Regional Park as well as a section of Sooke Potholes Regional Park and Galloping Goose Regional Trail, after closures took place in July due to a wildfire in the area.
The District of Sooke’s Potholes Gateway has also reopened as have BC Parks in the area.
This news was announced today, August 15, nearly a month after a wildfire was first reported on July 22 in the Sea to Sea Regional Park (northwest of the main town populated area of Sooke).
Some continued closures:
But the fire does remain active. Therefore, for public safety, some areas still remain closed:
- The area in Sea to Sea Regional Park north of Peden Lake Trail and Empress Mountain Trail is closed
- Sooke Potholes Regional Park is closed north of Parking Lot 2
- The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is closed north of the Peden Lake Trail access
- The Spring Salmon Place (KWL-UCHUN) Campground in Sooke Potholes Regional Park remains closed
- Kapoor Regional Park remains closed
“Thanks to heroic efforts by BC Wildfire Service, the District of Sooke staff and firefighters, the Sooke RCMP, T’Sou-ke First Nation, CRD staff, and all others involved, the fire was held at 230 hectares,” says CRD today in a news release.
Wildfire smoke drifted toward Langford and Victoria during the peak wildfire activity (July 22 to early August).
LINK: NEW MAP OF AREA CLOSURES
RELATED:
- Don’t be a fire starter! (August 3, 2023)
- Sooke area wildfire larger but contained on west side (July 30, 2024)
- Sooke launches info portal about regional wildfire (July 26, 2024)
Ongoing fire activity:
The fire is contained but remains active.
Crews from the CRD continue to work in collaboration with the BC Wildfire Service to closely monitor the fire and will do so well into the fall months.
The CRD anticipates some areas, particularly the northern parts of the Sea to Sea Regional Park, northern sections of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail and Kapoor Regional Park to remain closed for the foreseeable future. In closed areas, staff will continue to assess and mitigate risks to public safety, including factors like slope stability in steep terrain and danger trees. It is not clear at this time when re-opening closed areas will be feasible, however any updates, when available, will be posted on the CRD website at www.crd.bc.ca/about/alerts-notices/service-alerts.
The CRD reminds park visitors that with the continuing area closure at Sooke Potholes Regional Park, parking will be limited. If the parking lot is full and/or the park is busy when you arrive, consider going to a different park or visiting at a quieter time. Be sure to follow any parking signage outside of the park and be considerate of parking on nearby streets and blocking emergency access to the park or surrounding areas.
Extended warm, dry weather conditions increase the risk of wildfire in our region, and particularly in natural areas like CRD Regional Parks. The CRD asks that everyone continue to help protect natural areas by using their park etiquette and doing their part to prevent wildfires. This means packing out any trash, including glass, always staying on sanctioned trails, and most of all never smoking or having campfires in parks. It is also important that the wildfire area remain free from drone activity as it is still active airspace for BC Wildfire Service crews.
To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour that could start a wildfire in British Columbia, please call 1-800-663-5555 or (*5555 from a cell phone) as soon as possible.
