Nature trails and parks closed due to a wildfire north of Sooke earlier this summer are officially open again.
The Capital Regional District officially reopened trails in the Sea to Sea Regional Park as well as a section of Sooke Potholes Regional Park and Galloping Goose Regional Trail on Aug. 15.
The areas were closed to visitors after a suspected human-caused wildfire was discovered July 22 and burned out of control for about a week. Dubbed The Old Man Lake wildfire, it reached 230 hectares before being listed as under control by the BC Wildfire Service on Aug. 7.
While the Old Man Lake Fire is listed as ‘under control’ it remains active with crews from the CRD working in collaboration with the BC Wildfire Service to monitor the fire. That work is expected to continue into fall.
“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,” the CRD said in a news release.
Closed areas include the Sea to Sea Regional Park area north of Peden Lake Trail and Empress Mountain Trail; Sooke Potholes Regional Park north of Parking Lot 2; the Galloping Goose north of the Peden Lake Trail access; the Spring Salmon Place (KWL-UCHUN) Campground and Kapoor Regional Park.
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 B.C. call 1-800-663-5555 or (*5555 from a cell phone).
