Helicopters, boats and ground crews battling out-of-control wildfire near Victoria
CTV
Firefighters took to the air, land and sea to battle an out-of-control wildfire northwest of Victoria on Tuesday morning. CTV News has learned the fire was started by a hiker who got lost in the area and lit a bonfire to stay warm.
Three helicopters were contracted by the B.C. Wildfire Service early Tuesday to assist ground crews on the eastern shore of Finlayson Arm, where a half-hectare blaze was identified in the early-morning hours.
Wildfire smoke blankets the area around Finlayson Arm on Tuesday morning. (CTV News)
CTV News has learned the fire was started by a hiker who got lost in the area and lit a campfire to stay warm.
By 1:30 p.m., Langford Fire Rescue said the blaze was being held and was not likely to grow under the current weather conditions.
The fire was spotted overnight, according to Highlands Fire Rescue, but its remote and difficult location made it hard to access in the dark.
The area, near Hydro Road, is defined by steep cliffs and dense forest.
Firefighters, including municipal responders from Langford and Highlands, were accessing the region by boat.
Wildfire smoke blankets the area around Finlayson Arm on Tuesday morning. (CTV News)
Epcor says a chlorinelike smell or taste to Edmonton’s water is the natural result of treating spring runoff and that the water is still safe to drink.
Almost 13 years after the City of Calgary suffered its historic flood, six properties along the city’s Elbow River are now being sold.
Police in Surrey, B.C., are investigating an overnight shooting at a business in the city’s Cloverdale area.
Nearly 15,000 full-time equivalent positions will be cut in federal departments over the next three years, as part of the federal government’s plan to find $60 billion in savings by 2029.
Police in Timmins have released photos of an 18-year-old suspect wanted for shooting a man to death last November.
A crossing guard is being treated for serious injuries after he was struck by a vehicle during the morning commute in Barrhaven.
British Columbia’s river forecaster has rescinded the high streamflow advisories that covered southern parts of the province after heavy rains last week.
It’s an extra long March Break for some students in Nova Scotia following a spring snowfall.
Ontario to seize ownership of Toronto Island Airport lands and declare it is a special economic zone
Premier Doug Ford says the provincial government will be seizing ownership of city-owned lands at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport and declaring it a special economic zone, invoking new powers that will allow it to override environmental and other regulations.
Saskatchewan’s highest court has dismissed an appeal in the case of a years-long land dispute between the Village of Buena Vista and local landowners.
A participant in the 18th Annual Montreal Lake Walleye Derby is alleged to have violated derby rules over the weekend.
Three byelections are being held on April 13 and the results could have an impact on both the makeup of Parliament and how long it lasts. Here’s a primer on how things could change.
A member of Manitoba’s government caucus and the first First Nations woman elected to the province’s legislature has died.