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- Aug 19 - A common invasive plant could be fuelling Island wildfires
Aug 19 - A common invasive plant could be fuelling Island wildfires
Four beaches added to Island Health's no swim list. Mount Underwood Fire less intense, but still out of control after rain.
Capital Daily Team
August 19, 2025
Good morning !
I hope your week has been off to a good start. Today, we have two environmental stories on issues that have become increasingly problematic as the earth heats up.
From bacterial problems in warming waters to a familiar invasive plant stoking wildfires on the Island, the risks of climate change locally become clearer with each passing year.
— Robyn
Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes
🌡️ Weather Forecast
NEWS
Four Greater Victoria beaches added to no-swim list, one removed
People cool off at Willows Beach during a 2021 heatwave. The water at Willows is currently safe for people and pets to swim in. Photo: Colin Smith / Capital Daily
Esquimalt Gorge Park Kinsmen Beach, Saxe Point Park Beach, Langford Lake Ed Nixon Lane, and Sayward Beach are the latest swimming spots to be placed under advisory by Island Health. All four were due to high bacterial levels.
Beach advisories may be considered when:
the geometric mean (minimum of 5 samples) exceeds 200 E. coli or 35 enterococci per 100 ml sample
a single sample exceeds 400 E. coli or 70 enterococci per 100 ml sample
a visible blue green algae bloom is present
other possible health hazard are identified
E. coli testing is used for fresh water, while enterococci testing is typically used for marine water. High test results for both of these bacteria indicate the presence of fecal matter—this can be from animals or sewage runoff. Geese and seabird waste is often the cause of E. coli in lakes.
High levels of these bacteria can be harmful to humans and pets.
Testing at Langford Lake (Ed Nixon Lane) on Aug. 13 found an E. coli level of 455, up from 10 on Aug. 5. Other sections of Langford Lake are safe for swimming. The Leigh Road side was under advisory in late July, but has shown safe E. coli levels throughout August.
Saxe Point Park Beach in the Westshore had an enterococci level of 150 on Aug. 12, up from less than five (LT5).
Esquimalt Gorge Park Kinsmen Beach had an enterococci level of 125 on Aug. 12, up from LT5 the week prior.
Sayward Beach in Cordova Bay was added a day earlier than the others after testing showed an enterococci level of 90. Testing was done 200 ft. from the right side of the stairs.
On the bright side, Willows Beach in Oak Bay has been removed from the list as enterococci levels dropped. Testing on Aug. 6 showed an enterococci level of 7,800—yikes—but results on Aug. 11 and 12 were LT5.
⚠️ Capital Bulletin
Mount Underwood Fire still burning out of control, though its spread has slowed. It had reached 3,671 ha by Mon. [BCWS]
Air quality warning: Island Health issued the warning yesterday for the inland Island as smoke from Mt. Underwood Fire spreads. [Island Health]
Wesley Ridge Fire under control now. Evacuations have been lifted. [BCWS]
Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.
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NEWS
Scotch broom increases wildfire risk.
What can we do about it?
In 1850, Scottish Army Capt. Walter Colquhoun Grant planted a European perennial shrub on his farm on T’Sou-ke Nation’s traditional territory (Sooke). He thought the shrub—Cytisus scorparius in Latin—would bring back nostalgia of his Scottish homeland, covered with hills of yellow flowers.
One-hundred and seventy-five years later, this shrub is now one of the most notorious invasive species on Vancouver Island known colloquially as Scotch broom. Vast areas of the Island—including Victoria—are covered in this plant, exhibiting what a changed landscape can look like if invasive plants are allowed to spread and take over. It competes with native plants, disrupts streams and has no known natural predators. It can also live up to 25 years and produces seeds that can survive in the soil for 30 years.
Scotch broom is also extremely flammable, leading to growing concern as the climate changes and Earth warms.
The Island is currently dealing with an unprecedented wildfire season, with two fires of note this summer. The Mount Underwood Fire has grown at an astonishing rate, becoming one of the largest fires the Island has ever had. BC Wildfire Service says the fire near Port Alberni is acting far more aggressively than a typical BC fire.
Scotch broom continues to spread like, well, wildfire throughout the Island, despite frequent broom removal gatherings and volunteer events. Its stronghold on the land could spell trouble as challenging wildfires become more common here.
SPONSORED BY SWAN LAKE NATURE SANCTUARY
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⭐️ Capital Picks
🌊 The wonderful world of nudibranchs: See some of the unique creatures living in Island waters. [Karolle Wall / Facebook photos]
📖 Get inspired! Read the latest Pulse magazine, from the Victoria Foundation, for remarkable stories of impact organizations, investing trends, and the foundation's latest financial highlights.*
🐐 Best goat selfies: Beacon Hill Children’s Farm wants Victorians to share their best selfie with one of the farm’s goats. [BHCF]
🐄 Vintage Esquimalt: See downtown Esquimalt in the early 1900s with two resident cows wandering the streets. [Facebook photo]
*Sponsored Listing
🗞️ In Other News
Air Canada says it won’t negotiate with union until flight attendants return to work
Yesterday, Air Canada (AC) announced that flights would be cancelled through to this afternoon after flight attendants defied a federal back-to-work order—a move the airline says is illegal. AC says it had hoped flights would have resumed today. AC flight attendants are fighting to be paid for work they do before and after the flight, which they currently receive no compensation for. AC estimates that approx. 130K customers a day will have their flights cancelled as the strike continues. [CTV]
Langford to look into starting municipal garbage service
Langford is the largest community in the CRD without municipal garbage-collection service. Garbage has always been handled privately, with homeowners and businesses paying for the service. But residents have started to complain to the city and through social media that trash bins are overflowing in some areas. Because the service is not mandatory, residents worry that people are dumping their trash in public bins to avoid paying the extra cost. City staff will prepare a report on municipal service options, but rolling it out could take years. [Times Colonist]
Rain and cooler temperatures bring Mount Underwood Fire to a smouldering ground fire
After raging at Level 4 and 5 fire behaviour, this weekend’s wet weather has reduced the Mount Underwood Fire to a Level 1. This doesn’t mean it’s being held—the fire still grew by dozens of ha over the past few days—but it has turned it into a ground fire. Hot, dry weather will return this week, but BC Wildfire Service says it’s unlikely that the wildfire will return to Level 4 or 5. [CHEK]
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🗓️ Things to do
🧘 Yoga in the Park: Experience the benefits of free outdoor yoga led at Willows Beach Park today. 6-7pm. [Info]
🚲 Bike Repair 2.0: Learn to safely maintain and fix your own bike, with hands-on instructions tailored to your specific bike problems, at Recyclistas Bike Shop today. 5:50pm. [Info]
🎂 Cake Decoration Workshop Night: Unleash your inner artist at this fun evening of cake decorating at Flourish BeauTea today. 6-8:30pm. [Info]
🌻 Flower Field Bouquets: Pick & Make Your Own: Start with a field trip to pick flowers in Metchosin, then learn to create European-style hand-tied bouquets at Arts and Culture Colwood Society tomorrow. 9am-12pm. [Info]
👀 In Case You Missed It
Sunday’s headlines: Weekly roundup; 12 kayakers rescued by Canadian and American crews; Bear breaks into Ucluelet home. [Aug. 17]
Man pleads guilty in 2017 machete attack in Oak Bay. [Victoria News]
Police investigate security breach after ‘Free Palestine’ banner hung from the Legislature. [Vancouver Sun]
Battle of the kingfishers: The birds were seen fighting it out in North Saanich for at least two hours. [Christy Grinton / Facebook photos]
The “Big Snow” of 1916: Soldiers were called in to clear the streets of downtown Victoria. [Facebook photos]
Emily Carr, 1936: See the famed artist with her dog in her caravan. [Facebook photo]
Jutland closure at Gorge extended: BC Hydro’s work at the intersection has been extended until Fri. [City of Vic]
New and notable adult fiction books at GV Public Libraries. [GVPL]
That’s it!
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