The B.C. Wildfire Service and local fire departments are responding to a brush fire south of Nanaimo.
The fire, which was discovered Friday, was listed at just over a half hectare in size and considered out of control, which means it is spreading or is anticipated to spread beyond the current control line.
Three firefighters and a helicopter are responding, and the Nanaimo, Cranberry and Extension fire departments are on the scene, the service said.
Nanaimo and the east side of Vancouver Island were under heat warnings from Environment Canada on Friday as a high-pressure ridge moves in to create daytime highs near 30 C and overnight lows in the mid-teens. Cooler temperatures are expected on Saturday.
Two other wildfires are currently burning on Vancouver Island — one near Port Alberni and the Old Man Lake Fire north of Sooke. Both are considered under control.
There are just under 360 active blazes across the province, including 25 sparked since Thursday as many areas of southern B.C. bake under hot and dry conditions.
A provincial situation report from the BC Wildfire Service warned of a "significant" chance of lightning in the southern Interior, saying crews were bracing for new starts and intensifying fire behaviour on existing blazes.
Campfires continue to be banned across B.C. except for the Prince George Fire Centre, as an earlier ban in Northwest Fire Centre will be reinstated on Saturday.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
