View Royal firefighters tackled a rash of small suspected arsons late Monday night in the area around Atkins and Burnside roads.
View Royal Fire Rescue was called out to a brush fire at Atkins and Brydon roads at 11:40 p.m. Monday night, near the Galloping Goose. Fifteen minutes later, a second engine attended a grassfire near the Burnside Road exit of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Those firefighters then spotted smoke coming from a grove of trees near the Colwood exit on the TCH, across from Adams Storage.
View Royal fire Chief Paul Hurst said he suspects two male youths were behind the fires.
“These were all intentionally lit. It was predictable where they were going,” Hurst said. “We notified Saanich fire and police.”
Earlier in the evening West Shore RCMP asked two males to leave Thetis Lake park campground due to an illegal campfire. Later on, officers dealt with two males near Watkiss and Burnside roads who were in breach of court conditions.
RCMP Cpl. Kathy Rochlitz couldn’t say if the two incidents were connected. No one was arrested in relation to the fires.
No other fires were reported late Monday. View Royal had three vehicles and 16 firefighters out to deal with the fires.
