Long Lake wildfire won’t be declared out for ‘quite some time’: N.S. DNR

The evacuees from the Long Lake wildfire in Nova Scotia are assessing the damages to their properties.

Officials say an out-of-control wildfire that has been burning for three weeks in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis County won’t be extinguished anytime soon.

“We still have to get this fire being held and have to get it under control … extinguish is a long ways away,” said Jim Rudderham, the director of fleet and forest protection for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), during a media briefing Thursday afternoon.

“It’s going to be quite some time before this fire is declared out. It’s a real possibility that we’ll be into the fall before this fire is declared out, that’s for sure.”

The Long Lake wildfire in West Dalhousie, which first started burning on Aug. 13, is still estimated at 8,468 hectares. There are no new reports of damage Thursday.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that, in the broader sense, the size of that fire is going to stay the size of that fire unless it grows,” explained Rudderham.

“Even as we put that fire out, the size is not going to shrink. The active area will continue to shrink, but that’s the perimeter of the fire, and that’s going to stay that size unless it grows.”

DNR says crews have made good progress with dozer guards and hose lines, and aircraft water drops were successful on Wednesday.

While the dry conditions continue to pose problems for firefighters, Rudderham says the morning dew and cooler temperatures expected in September should help their efforts.

“That all helps us fight this fire and get it under control, which means that the burn period through the daytime is starting to get smaller,” he said. “That’s all things that we take into account and all things that help us progress to get this fire under control.

“We still need to have lots of rain though.”

DNR says crews have not responded to any new wildfires in the last few days. There is one other active wildfire in the province, in Cumberland County, but DNR says it has been contained for some time.

Resources

The following resources are on scene in West Dalhousie Thursday:

• 10 helicopters
• four planes and a bird dog
• four DNR firefighters
• 60 Ontario firefighters
• 40 Quebec firefighters
• 60 local firefighters
• 30 pieces of heavy equipment

Rudderham says some of the ground crews from Ontario will be leaving over the weekend, but crews from Quebec and Nova Scotia will take their place.

“We continually plan our resources to make sure that we have enough people there that are well-rested and ready to fight this fire,” he said.

Some evacuees back home

Some of the people forced to evacuate their homes last month returned home on Wednesday.

The province says people at about 360 civic addresses were allowed to return. Two groups of evacuees entered their homes in the morning while a third group returned home in the afternoon.

Dave Rockwood, provincial fire and ground search and rescue co-ordinator for the Department of Emergency Management, says the staggered re-entry went well, with no major lineups at the checkpoints.

There are still 131 civic addresses under the evacuation order. Rockwood says it may still be a while before those people can return.

“Some of these areas are directly still in the middle of the fire, is what you need to remember,” he said during Thursday’s briefing. “There is still active operations going on inside.”

The following areas remain under evacuation orders:

• the section of West Dalhousie Road from Che-Boag-A-Nish Road to Meadow Road
• all of Heartland Road, Thorne Road and Medicraft Lane
• Morse Road remains closed from Neaves Road to West Dalhousie Road

Last week the province confirmed 20 homes had been destroyed and 11 outbuildings had also been damaged or destroyed by the fire.

Woods ban lifted

The province lifted its woods ban in the following counties on Friday, saying the wildfire risk has lowered in those areas:

• Cape Breton
• Richmond
• Victoria
• Inverness
• Guysborough
• Antigonish
• Halifax

The ban remains in effect in the following counties:

• Pictou
• Colchester
• Cumberland
• Hants
• Lunenburg
• Kings
• Annapolis
• Queens
• Shelburne
• Digby
• Yarmouth

Rudderham clarified information about hunting season, saying hunting will be allowed in counties where the woods ban has been lifted. Hunting will be prohibited in counties where the woods ban remains in place.

The Nova Scotia government says the ban will remain in place in those areas until Oct. 15 or until conditions have improved enough for them to be lifted.

Nova Scotia first introduced a ban on entering the woods on Aug. 5.

A burn ban, which started on July 30, is still in effect across the province.

The fine for violating either ban is $25,000.

Air quality warning

An air quality warning remains in effect for Annapolis County.

Environment Canada warns smoke from the wildfire will “significantly reduce local air quality downwind,” though smoke conditions may vary as wind and fire behaviour changes.

“You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough,” said Environment Canada.

“More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. If you think you are having a medical emergency, seek immediate medical assistance.”

Residents are urged to keep their doors and windows shut and limit their time spent outdoors.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page