Police say wildfires on northern Vancouver Island may have been deliberately set

Police on Vancouver Island say they are looking for suspects involved in lighting wildfires near the north Island community of Sayward.

Firefighters have responded to multiple wildfires on Vancouver Island this fire season — which is already one of the most destructive on record — and several may have been intentionally lit, according to Sayward RCMP.

Sayward, a town of of approximately 300 people, is located in a remote area on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. The surrounding Strathcona A Regional District Electoral Area has a population of about 280.

Police say people were in the area of the Browning Creek Fire, about a 10-minute drive south of town, right before its discovery on Monday, July 3.

"Witnesses in the area of Browning Creek just prior to its discovery observed some quad riders nearby," said Staff Sgt. Kris Clark of the B.C. RCMP in a statement. 

Police are also investigating the cause of the area's Newcastle Creek Fire, which is currently just over two square kilometres in size and is being held. Other nearby fires also suspected to be human caused were along the Memekay River, White River and Big Tree Mainlines, all of which have been suppressed, say police.

RCMP Island District General Investigations Section is leading the investigation and anyone with information on the fires is encouraged to contact them at 250-331-6010.

Although it's still early in the summer, wildfires have already scorched nearly 10,500 square kilometres of land in the province, according to Cliff Chapman, operations director for the B.C. Wildfire Service. This represents the third-highest burned area ever recorded during a wildfire season in B.C.