Nearby buildings were evacuated when a fire burned through four structures at a construction site on Steeple Chase road in Sooke Tuesday night.
Firefighters from Sooke, Otter Point, Metchosin and East Sooke responded to the blaze about 8:55 p.m.
Some of the neighbours in the area went door-to-door to ensure people were safe, and others sprayed roofs with hoses, the District of Sooke said.
A number of homes had cracked windows and melted siding from the heat.
“It was in quite a highly dense area for housing because of its proximity to schools,” said Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, who lives about a kilometre from the fire scene and said she could see flames shooting into the sky and hear the crackling.
Some people in East Sooke could see the fire from across Sooke Basin, she said.
Tait said the quick action of emergency responders “prevented something that could have been a truly catastrophic event.”
“Thank-you doesn’t seem to suffice,” she said. “My heartfelt gratitude goes out to our first responders including Sooke Fire and our mutual-aid partners, Sooke RCMP and BC Ambulance and your families.”
About 30 firefighters and 10 pieces of apparatus, including utility and medical vehicles, were at the scene.
Irene Morden said the fire was just behind her house, and broke out soon after she returned from a youth lacrosse practice.
She said she saw a glow at first and thought it was a sunset.
“I walked into the street and turned and looked and thought ‘Oh my God,’ ” Morden said. “It was huge. Huge.”
She said it was fortunate there was no wind. “If there was a wind, it would have been brutal.”
There were no injuries and the fire was deemed under control by 9:50 p.m. Crews remained afterward to manage hot spots and spot fires.
Sooke Fire Chief Ted Ruiter said the priority was ensuring public safety and minimizing damage to nearby occupied residences. “Thank you to our dedicated team and mutual-aid partners for their quick response, and to the community for their support and co-operation.”
Crews were expected to be at the scene throughout the day on Wednesday.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
The district advised anyone who had property damage to contact their insurance providers.
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