Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley rallying to help those who lost homes to fire

An 802 plane drops water on the Long Lake wildfire. (Province of Nova Scotia)

LAWRENCETOWN — Rural communities in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley that have been devastated by the ongoing Long Lake wildfire are rallying to support households forced to flee and those who lost their homes to the blaze.

Tori Dawson lives in the small community of Paradise, just over 10 kilometres away from the out-of-control fire that’s more than 82 square kilometres in size. First reported on Aug. 13, the fire doubled in size last weekend as dry winds fanned the flames towards nearby homes.

Dawson and her partner have been hosting friends and family who had to evacuate since shortly after the fire began.

“It’s been very emotional, it’s been very stress-inducing,” Dawson said in an interview at her home Saturday.

“I think (the stress) is worse because there’s nothing we can do, it’s completely out of anyone’s control. We can do what we can to fight the fire and help our community, but knowing that it’s really up to Mother Nature is stressful.”

Among Dawson’s temporary house guests were her friends Meghan Yelland and Michael Zeeman, a married couple who are expecting a child very soon.

“I had a dream that our house had burnt down. And then I woke up to the message from Meghan that they had lost their home ... Meghan’s due now in about a week and a half with their first child and they lost all of their baby items.”

Thankfully, over the past few days, the couple has received a “van-full” of baby necessities for their newborn to replace what was lost, and an online fundraiser Dawson organized for the young family has raised more than $18,000 as of Saturday afternoon.

“People have really been stepping up to the plate,” she said.

“It’s been really amazing... Knowing everyone’s struggling financially right now, it’s a really hard time, it’s really uncertain times. But it just really shows that at the end of the day, people just want to help,” Dawson added.

Nick Bezanson, who is among the 20 households in the area that lost homes to the fire, said he’s been overwhelmed by the community’s outpouring of support. He said in a direct message on social media there have been numerous offers of temporary housing and items to replace what they’ve lost.

Bezanson said he and his family had been bracing for the worst when the fire exploded in size last weekend. He learned on Tuesday that the home he shares with his wife, three children and three cats was destroyed last Sunday.

“I feel thankful though, that more of the community survived than was lost,” Bezanson said, crediting the hard work of the firefighters and crews.

Since the fire broke out, Bee’s Knees General Store and Bakery in Lawrencetown, N.S., has altered regular operations to focus on cooking meals for firefighters and providing free coffee and drinks to evacuees. The business has also been a drop-off location for physical donations and they have been working to get items to those in need.

Lawrencetown is 20 kilometres north of the fire and the smell of smoke was strong in the area Saturday. Some residents could be seen wearing masks while walking outside.

Sue Littleton, who owns Bee’s Knees with her spouse Candice Zaina, said the entire community is focused on the devastating reality their neighbours are living through and want to help however they can.

“When it became apparent that there are a lot of folks needing meals and support, it just made sense. It is deeply ingrained in me to feed people and share resources, especially in times of crisis,” Littleton said Saturday.

Dustin Enslow, deputy warden for the Municipality of the County of Annapolis, said in an interview Saturday the community’s efforts to support one another have been phenomenal.

“We’re entering the third week of this, and we’re continuing to see a high amount of community support ... it’s astounding the amount of community support,” he said.

Richard Roscoe, who lives in Lawrencetown, said the tight-knit community is working hard to identify who needs a place to stay and ensure everyone has what they need as the fire rages on.

Roscoe said the cloud of smoke from the fire has made breathing very difficult for his asthmatic wife, and expects it’s something they’ll be dealing with for weeks to come.

“People are going to band together to keep helping each other... But we still have a long road ahead ... It’s not going to be out next week, it’s going to keep burning for some time. This is a marathon not a sprint,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2025.

By Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press