Small blaze at Uptown contained quickly, no injuries reported
Saanich firefighters knocked down a garbage can fire in the upper parking lot at Uptown Shopping Centre early Saturday evening, a close call the department says should remind residents how rapidly flames can take off during the region’s dry stretch. Crews were dispatched at about 5:30 p.m. to the lot beside the RBC branch and found the bin burning up against hedge plantings, according to Saanich Fire.
Assistant Deputy Chief Craig Ford said firefighters moved swiftly to prevent the fire from catching nearby vegetation. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread beyond the immediate area.
“It was up against some hedges, so that was an area of concern just with how dry it is,” Ford said.
The cause has not yet been determined. Saanich Fire and police are conducting a joint review and are seeking information from anyone who may have seen the incident or captured it on a dash camera near the time of the call.
Appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage
Ford asked the public to assist investigators by sharing relevant recordings with police if they were in the Uptown area around the time of the call. He noted that heightened awareness is warranted as outdoor fuels dry out and minor ignitions can escalate in minutes, particularly where landscaping and other combustibles are nearby.
“If there is any witnesses or anybody with dashcam footage, if they could release that to the police that would be greatly appreciated,” he said.
Incident snapshot
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Time of call | About 5:30 p.m., Saturday |
| Location | Uptown Shopping Centre, upper parking lot near RBC |
| Fire type | Garbage can fire adjacent to hedges |
| Injuries/Spread | No injuries; no spread beyond immediate area |
| Status | Extinguished quickly by Saanich Fire |
| Cause | Unknown; under joint police–fire investigation |
Local caution amid a volatile wildfire season
The reminder from Saanich Fire comes as Canada faces a severe wildfire season. A national summary reports nearly 1,000 active wildfires across the country, prompting air quality advisories from Environment Canada spanning regions from British Columbia to Ontario and the Northwest Territories. The BC Wildfire Service said a recent thunder-and-lightning system triggered a surge in new starts, pushing provincial totals into the triple digits; the Coastal Fire Centre alone recorded about 1,700 lightning strikes over two days.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the situation as “one of the most intense wildfire seasons in Canadian history,” attributing the scale to extreme heat and record-dry conditions. He said more than 5,000 firefighters and close to 300 aircraft are working to contain and mitigate fires nationwide.
Parking-lot fires can move fast
While Saturday’s Uptown incident remained small, fire officials say parking lots are not immune to fast-moving flames when fuels are present. Containers, planter beds, vehicle interiors and decorative hedges can ignite quickly if exposed to smouldering materials or embers, especially in prolonged dry weather.
- Dispose of smoking materials safely and avoid using planters or bins as ashtrays.
- Keep vehicles and heat sources clear of dry vegetation and landscaping.
- Report small fires immediately by calling 911 and keep a safe distance.
Investigators continue to review the Uptown fire. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage from the upper lot area near the RBC around the time of the call is asked to contact police.
