New Out-of-Control Wildfire Discovered Near Sooke, BC (Mount Jack Fire)

BC Wildfire Service confirmed a new out-of-control wildfire on the slopes of Mount Jack, about 4 km west of the Sooke River in the Sooke Hills on southern Vancouver Island, discovered late Sept 20. It grew quickly amid warm, dry and windy conditions, reaching an estimated 35 hectares by Sept 21 as crews, helicopters and airtankers were deployed. Four smaller out-of-control fires were also burning nearby on Vancouver Island (Nitinat Main, Thistle Mine Road, Pat Phillip Creek, Rogers Creek), all under 12 hectares. No evacuation alerts or orders were issued for any of them; BC Wildfire Service said none posed a risk to public safety or critical infrastructure. Smoke was visible across Sooke, Greater Victoria and the Cowichan Valley.