It’s officially wildfire season in Nova Scotia. Despite the fact there’s snow on the ground in many regions, the entire province was under a burn ban Sunday until mid-afternoon Monday. “We look at the best wildfire science data from our 31 weather stations across the province, and we make the call at 2 p.m. daily if those restrictions should change,” says Gordon Delano, the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Delano admits it’s been a busy last few years for wildfires, with calls coming in from all around the province. He says all of last year’s fires are now out, but crews are keeping an eye on those areas. “The department will be monitoring those sites to make sure we don’t have any spot fires that served up again. Certainly, that is a thing in wildfire management to continually monitor those sites for the safety of everyone around,” said Delano. DNR has 300 staff heading into this year, ready to be deployed to hot spots around the province. Fire crews will be working with some new equipment this summer, if needed. Four fixed-wing waterbomber aircraft and four helicopters have been contracted for one year. The province is budgeting $25.6 million over five years for the helicopters. The price tag for the four Air Tractor AT-802 planes is $12.6 million. The rapid-response aircraft are capable of carrying 3,000 litres of water at a time. “It’s certainly very exciting and again it will really set us up well for a wildfire season,” said Delano. Two of the new helicopters are already here, the other two are expected to arrive next month. Wildfire season in Nova Scotia runs from mid-March until mid-October, unless it’s extended like it was in 2025. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
