View Royal Fire Rescue and West Shore RCMP are searching for a man suspected of setting a brush fire Tuesday along the Galloping Goose Trail.
"Witnesses reported a man crouching down and doing something on the trail," said View Royal Fire Rescue Chief Paul Hurst. Witnesses then saw nearby bushes catch fire as the man fled, he added. "It was actually a set fire."
No description of the suspect was available.
View Royal fire crews were busy cleaning up from a structure fire earlier that evening when they received the call about 8 p.m. on the brush fire, which was found burning near the Trans-Canada Highway and Helmcken Road.
When crews arrived on scene they encountered a fire roughly 50 feet square on a trail near the Victoria General Hospital. Eight firefighters responded in two trucks and were able to quickly contain the blaze.
Hurst noted the area is still relatively green, which helped limit the spread of the fast-moving fire. If the area had been dry, he said, "it would have been a completely different fire."
Since witnesses were unable to get a description of the suspect, police have had little to go on with their investigation at this time. Hurst asked anyone with information to contact the West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264.
"We'll keep an eye on that area," he added.
Fire crews are also asking the public to be extra vigilant this summer as the hot weather continues.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com