Wildfire in Richmond County, N.S., now under control

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Wildfire breaks out in Richmond County, N.S.

Wildfire under control in Cape Breton

A forest fire that started Thursday evening in Cape Breton’s Richmond County is now under control, according to the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

The fire, which started around 5 p.m. near Three Rivers Road in Framboise, N.S., grew to roughly 15 hectares and crossed at least one roadway. A 20-year-old vacant trailer in the area has burned down.

“It’s in a very rural area, it’s fairly wooded,” Brent Sampson, the deputy warden of Richmond County, told CTV Morning Live’s Amanda Debison Friday morning.

“There are some houses around but it’s off the main road on some of the dirt roads where it’s most impacted.”

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Multiple volunteer fire departments arrived on site Thursday evening. The Department of Natural Resources has 17 firefighters on scene, working alongside regional volunteer fire departments.

There were no evacuation orders, but Sampson said some residents left voluntarily as a precaution, and some houses in the area were soaked down to stop the wildfire from spreading to those homes.

Richmond County officials urged residents to monitor official emergency channels for updates, follow all instructions from emergency services, and to call 911 if emergency assistance is required.

Sampson also urged people to stay away from the area unless they are involved in the firefighting effort.

“If you’re not involved, just please stay away because it doesn’t help,” he said. “Driving around to take a look is not helping anybody, so if you’re not part of the effort, just please stay away at this time.”

Meanwhile, the mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality said his community has sent a tanker, wildland truck, side-by-side, drone and five firefighters to Richmond County.

“In the event they are needed we’ve also sent five satellite phones and communication radios,” said Mayor Cecil Clarke in a Facebook post.

Clarke said CBRM Fire and Emergency Services and EMO leaders are also assisting with coordination and response efforts in Richmond County, while the Marion Bridge Fire Department is on standby to help protect Gabarus in case the wildfire shifts in that direction.

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