While the cause of a late Sunday grass fire near Highway 1 remains “undetermined,” a spokesperson for the Saanich Fire Department urges people to be mindful of their actions against the backdrop of current temperatures.
“It easily could have been a cigarette butt,” said Capt. Kevin Cleaver of the Saanich Fire Department, when asked about the cause of a grassfire near Spectrum Community School Sunday night. He stressed however that neither the Saanich Fire Department nor Saanich Police know the exact cause of the fire. Any number of things could have caused it, he said.
Three vehicles and six crews responded to the grass fire, whose size was around a quarter-acre. Police also responded to investigate the fire, but did not determine it to be suspicious, ruling out arson, said Cleaver. The fire did not threaten any homes, he said.
Cleaver’s appeal comes during a period of unseasonable hot weather and southern Vancouver Island under a fire danger rating of extreme. It means that “new fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires.”
Just days ago, West Shore RCMP fined a driver $575 dollars for tossing a cigarette out of a vehicle window.
