Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue crews fought a grass and bush fire in the 900 block of Beaver Point Road on Friday afternoon and evening.
According to Salt Spring Fire Chief Arjuna George, reports of smoke in the area came in at about 3:30 p.m. and the fire was contained by approximately 6 p.m. Crews continued to apply water to the site until 9 p.m.
He said the initial call came in from a BC Ferries passenger who saw smoke from the water.
George said the fire, an estimated two hectares in size, was “aggressively burning in grass, brush and trees on a very steep forested area.” Some 4,500 gallons of water were used to extinguish the flames.
Sixteen SSIFR personnel responded to the call and were assisted by a three-person unit from the BC Forest Service.
SSIFR monitored the site on Saturday and Sunday, with water applied to some hot spots on Saturday. George said on Sunday that the site would continue to be checked for a few more days.
For an updated and much longer version of this story, see the August 8, 2018 issue of the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper, or subscribe online.