As crews of the Saanich Fire Department continue to mop up the aftermath of a grassfire near one of the busiest intersections in the region, traffic has partially reopened along parts of Blanshard Street.
The grass fire had fully closed down traffic along Blanshard Street south of Saanich Road and north of Cloverdale Avenue for some 45 minutes or so. Just before 2 p.m., police re-opened north bound traffic on Blanshard Street.
Crews are on scene fighting a grass fire on MOTI land on Blanshard between Cloverdale and #Saanich Rd. #yyjtraffic pic.twitter.com/34hGySoNj6
— Victoria News (@VictoriaNews) 26. Juni 2018
Parts of Blanshard should reopen soon #yyjtraffic #saanich #yyj https://t.co/Ll0Bzdv9vP
— Saanich Police (@SaanichPolice) 26. Juni 2018
The site of the fire us in Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure land, bound by Saanich Road to the north and Cloverdale Avenue to the south, with Blanshard Street running on either side.
While it is not clear what caused the fire, Saanich Police were seen interviewing individuals said to be sheltering in the area. Tents are a frequent site in the area. In 2016, a MOTI contracted crew cleared out all the shrubs and branches up to six feet, ending at least one long term camp.
The fire had large plumes of smoke into the afternoon sky, shroudding offices and residences up and down Blanshard Avenue in thick smoke.
No reports of injuries or damage are currently available.
Please avoid Blanshard St near Cloverdale in #Saanich #yyj #yyjtraffic. @SaanichFire is dealing with a brush fire and traffic is seriously impacted. pic.twitter.com/Zy2rB86uzu
— Saanich Police (@SaanichPolice) 26. Juni 2018
The intersection ranks among the busiest in the Greater Victoria area, home to several large residential and commercial complexes.
Updates to follow.
