Smoke visible as new human-caused wildfire burns out of control near Fanny Bay

A new wildfire has sparked south of Fanny Bay, bringing the number of active wildfires on Vancouver Island to 11 as of early Saturday evening..

BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the fire was discovered Saturday about three kilometres south of Fanny Bay, near the Cook/Horne Forest Service Road.

As of 4:10 p.m., the fire was estimated to be 0.009 hectares in size and was classified as out of control, meaning it’s spreading or is expected to spread beyond its current perimeter.

The fire is suspected to be human-caused.

BCWS says smoke from the fire is visible from Fanny Bay, Deep Bay and Bowser, as well to any drivers heading along highways 19 and 19A.

Despite being out of control, BCWS says the fire doesn’t currently pose a threat to public safety or critical infrastructure.

Ground crews and aviation resources has been deployed.

The new fire comes as crews continue responding to several lightning-caused wildfires elsewhere on Vancouver Island following thunderstorms in recent days.

Before the Fanny Bay fire was discovered, seven of the eight active wildfires on the Island were suspected to have been caused by lightning, while the cause of the remaining fire was undetermined.

Two of those fires were classified as out of control Saturday: one near Bonanza Lake northwest of Woss and another north of Schoen Lake Provincial Park, roughly halfway between Woss and Sayward.

Following the Fanny Bay fire, three new fires were sparked by another thunderstorm that rolled through the Schoen Lake Park area, all listed as out of control and 0.009 hectares in size, bringing the total number of out-of-control wildfires to nine.