PARKSVILLE – The BC Wildfire Service will be supporting the Department of National Defence in conducting a prescribed burn covering up to 14 hectares on the Canadian Forces Base, Rocky Point.
The burn site is 13 km Southeast of Sooke on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Smoke may be visible to residents in Victoria and surrounding communities.
The exact timing of this burn will depend on weather and site conditions, but it could begin as early as tomorrow, Sept. 18, 2025. Burning will proceed if conditions are suitable and allow for smoke dispersal during burn operations, though light smoke may linger in the following days.
Similar to past years, up to 50 hectares of land in Metchosin at Rocky Point may be burned over approximately one to five days between mid September and early October 2025. Prescribed burns are conducted by the British Columbia Wildfire Service (BCWS) when weather and other atmospheric conditions are most favourable and when fuel moisture codes and fire indices support prescribed burning. The prescribed burns are expected to generate some smoke.
The goal of this prescribed burn is to mitigate wildfire risks, maintain open natural landscapes for military training, and protect and restore rare Garry Oak ecosystems which support a large number of species at risk. Key goals are to mimic naturally occurring ground fires, reduce the accumulations of dead and combustible material, and decrease the risk of future catastrophic wildfires in the area.
Prescribed burns on this property have been undertaken since 2017, and are undertaken in partnership with BC Wildfire Services, Natural Resources Canada, Parks Canada and the Department of National Defence.
Fire is a normal and natural process in many of B.C.’s ecosystems. The BC Wildfire Service works regularly with land managers to undertake fuel management activities (including the use of prescribed burns), to help reduce the severity of future wildfires and related threats to communities.
Learn more about prescribed burning online, here.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air-quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca
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Contact:
Fire Information Officer
BC Wildfire Service Coastal Fire Centre
250 951-4209