A fast-spreading beach fire near Roche Cove was extinguished by the Sooke Fire Department. The nearby homes escaped impact. Had there been a wind, it might have been a completely different story.

At 5:37 a.m., on the morning of June 24, 2015, Sooke’s fire chief posted the following on Twitter. “What happens when you only think your beach fire is out? Well this does? #sooke FD now on scene.”

Photos by Steven Sorensen, Sooke’s fire chief.

5:39 a.m.: “Fast spreading brush fire stopped only meters away from structure in #sooke this morning. Luckily no wind”

Just after 7:00 a.m., the following was posted by Sooke Fire Rescue on Facebook: ‪“#‎Sooke‬ crews back from brush fire in Roche Cove area. Fire came extremely close to homes. Fortunately it was early morning and there was no wind. Could have been a very different story…”

Properly extinguishing beach fires is a MUST in this hot dry weather.

When putting out your campfire:

• Drown the campfire with water. When you think you’ve doused it enough, add more.
• Mix the ashes and embers with soil. Scrape all partially-burned sticks and logs to make sure all the hot embers are off them.
• Stir the embers after they are covered with water and make sure that everything is wet.
• Feel the coals, embers, and any partially-burned wood with your hands. Everything (including the rock fire ring) should be cool to the touch. Feel under the rocks to make sure no embers underneath.
• When you think you are done, take an extra minute and add more water.
• Finally, check the entire campsite for possible sparks or embers, because it only takes one to start a forest fire.
• Remember…if it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.