16-07-2025
High temperatures, dry conditions cause forest fire concern in Cape Breton
High temperatures and dry weather are raising concerns about wildfires in Cape Breton.
With temperatures soaring and dry conditions around the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, some are casting a wary eye toward the woods.
'I am surrounded by trees, and you know what? Fire has always been a concern of mine,' said Sheilah MacDonald, a woodlot owner who lives on the Morrison Road just outside of Sydney.
With wildfires burning on the Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland, MacDonald is worried they could happen where she lives.
'I put together a 'go bag' in the event of a fire, because if one comes through there's really nothing I can do about it," MacDonald said.
Most parts of Nova Scotia are currently under burn restrictions.
The forest protection manager for the province's Department of Natural Resources, Scott Tingley, said rainfall has been below seasonal average - leaving water levels low in lakes, rivers and streams.
'As we see water levels or days without precipitation increase we see that forest floor and all that dead organic material. More and more that becomes available as fuel', Tingley said.
North Sydney Volunteer Fire chief Lloyd MacIntosh said most people follow the safety rules including burn bans but it is even more important to be vigilant right now.
'It wouldn't be too hard to set a fire in conditions like this,' MacIntosh said. 'If you can walk on the grass and the grass is crunchy, that's too dry. Sometimes it's just luck that keeps things safe and right now I'd say we're in a lucky position. We have to be careful. People have to be careful.'
Beaches are another casualty of the warm conditions. Oakfield Park Beach outside Halifax is closed to swimming because of a possible blue-green algae bloom.
MacDonald said she has an exit strategy in case a wildfire breaks out but she's still afraid.
'It doesn't make it any less nerve-wracking, considering the number of trees that are down in the woods right now after Fiona,' she said.
Tingley sad one saving grace might be the high humidity, which he says can help reduce forest fire risk.
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