Latest news with #NovaScotiaDepartmentofNaturalResources
Global News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
‘It's very, very dry': Wildfire in Nova Scotia grows and spreads
Officials in Nova Scotia say a wildfire in the western part of the province has grown and could force people out of their homes, while cooler temperatures and low winds have helped firefighters in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Long Lake wildfire is expected to grow, said Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection with Nova Scotia's Natural Resources Department. In a social media update on Sunday evening, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources said the fire had almost doubled in size, growing from 11 square kilometres in the morning to nearly 20 square kilometres. It had spread past Godfrey Lake to the intersection of Fairns and West Dalhousie roads on one side and the south side of Spectacle Lakes on the other, it added. There is still no reported structure damage, the post said. 'These are not favourable firefighting conditions,' Tingley told reporters Sunday morning. 'It's very, very dry.' Story continues below advertisement Two contracted helicopters were helping local firefighters along with crews from Prince Edward Island and Ontario, he said. Environment Canada has forecast up to 15 millimetres of rain for Sunday night with showers ending Monday morning for Halifax and the surrounding areas. Large swaths of Atlantic Canada have been reeling under drought-like conditions and sweltering heat. Forest protection director Jim Rudderham said while cooler temperatures have helped firefighters, a significant amount of rain was needed to help quell the blazes. 'We don't begrudge any rain here, but it's really not going to do very much,' he said. 'We need a few days of protracted, nice, steady rain. Remember now that … the ground is so crusty that it's going to take a good day just to break that crust and let the water go into the ground. So we need protracted rain.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The fire is burning about 135 kilometres northwest of Halifax, and officials declared a state of emergency in Annapolis County on Saturday. It has forced the evacuation of about 100 homes in the heavily wooded West Dalhousie area, about 125 kilometres west of Halifax. However, on Sunday morning, a post from Nova Scotia officials said more evacuations were possible as the Long Lake wildfire spreads. Story continues below advertisement Tingley said the wildfire was within kilometres of the West Dalhousie Road area but given the intense smoke, it was hard to have a more accurate assessment. So, officials have taken several steps, such as sprinklers, hoses and barriers to keep the community safe, he added. Officials said they were also keeping a watch on Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025. The storm wasn't expected to directly impact the U.S. East Coast, but by doubling or tripling in size it could bring rip currents all along the coast. 'That's a scary thought,' Rudderham said. 'We certainly have our meteorologists and our fire behaviour people watching very closely on anything that could happen with anomalies and weather. We'll continue to watch that and make plans accordingly.' Eleanor Olszewski, federal minister of emergency management, said she has approved a request for help from Nova Scotia to provide resources to tackle wildfires. 'Public Safety's Government Operations Centre is working with the Canadian Armed Forces and other partners to deploy all necessary federal resources and ensure Nova Scotia has the support it needs,' she said in a news release. Meanwhile, cooler temperatures and low winds have helped firefighters in Newfoundland and Labrador with little growth in wildfires. The largest wildfire, burning along the northwestern shore of Conception Bay, however, remained at a stubborn 95 square kilometres on Sunday. It is about the size of Paris, France. Story continues below advertisement The wildfire has destroyed about 100 houses and forced 3,000 people out of their homes. 'Today's weather conditions, cooler temperatures and light winds will provide crews with a strong opportunity for suppression efforts,' said a news release from the province's Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Department. The Paddy's Pond wildfire, about 15 kilometres southwest of downtown St. John's, has been holding steady at just a little over three square kilometres in size, the release said. The Martin Lake wildfire remains at 17 square kilometres and crews are tackling it with four water bombers and bucketing helicopters, it said. There are seven active wildfires in Newfoundland and Labrador, with over 196 square kilometres of ground scorched. Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his gratitude to Canadian Armed Forces members helping fight the wildfires. 'To the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who risk their lives to keep Canadians safe — like those deployed to help fight wildfires and support communities in Newfoundland and Labrador this week — thank you, for everything,' he said in a social media post. In northern New Brunswick, an evacuation advisory has been lifted for the residents of Lavillette. There are 39 active wildfires across New Brunswick with eight deemed out of control, said a news release from the province. Story continues below advertisement The Oldfield Road wildfire near Miramichi remains the largest one, measuring roughly 14 square kilometres. 'Even though some rain is expected in the coming days, wildfire danger remains high,' said the news release. 'Current forecasts predict thunderstorms. Potential lightning strikes, combined with ongoing conditions, present a high risk for additional fires.' — With files from The Associated Press.
Global News
4 days ago
- General
- Global News
Helicopter crashes fighting Nova Scotia wildfire, pilot ‘conscious and talking'
A helicopter involved in fighting a major Nova Scotia wildfire has crashed in shallow water, authorities say, with the pilot reportedly conscious. The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources said the crash happened just before 4:30 p.m. on Friday and involved a helicopter fighting the Long Lake wildfires. A brief statement said the helicopter had crashed in the water. 'The pilot was conscious and talking with firefighters who quickly reached the aircraft,' the statement read. 'By 6 p.m. he was rescued from his aircraft and taken for medical assessment.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The government said it would not be releasing the pilot's name. 'I'm relieved the pilot was rescued quickly and wish them a speedy recovery,' Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston wrote in a social media post. Story continues below advertisement 'Thank you to everyone who responded so quickly to reach the aircraft and provide support.' The helicopter and its pilot were part of a massive wildfire-fighting operation in the Annapolis Valley, concentrating on Long Lake, where 50 homes have been evacuated. Long Lake Wildfire spokesperson Dave Steeves previously told reporters that there has been some extreme fire behaviour connected to the wildfire over the past day and a half. 'Our flame lengths were quite high, which is an indicator to basically how dangerous the situation is that our crews were dealing with on the ground,' he said. 'Things have dropped back a little bit, but there is still the potential for things to get dangerous very, very quickly.' — with files from Global News' Kevin Nielson
National Observer
6 days ago
- Climate
- National Observer
Officials say Halifax wildfire that forced evacuations is being held
A wildfire on the western outskirts of Halifax that had prompted evacuations is now being held, Nova Scotia officials say. But the update, posted at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, said firefighters would remain overnight at the scene of the fire near Susies Lake, which is about 10 kilometres west of downtown Halifax. The Halifax Regional Municipality said the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources estimated that the blaze remained around 15 hectares in size. The Susies Lake fire erupted on Tuesday afternoon close to businesses and homes in the Bayers Lake area and prompted the evacuation of three businesses in the Bayers Lake business park. It also forced a hardware store and restaurant to close and an outpatient clinic in the Susies Lake area was also shut. The latest update said the mandatory evacuations of all businesses in the plaza on the west side of Chain Lake Drive remained in place. Earlier Wednesday, Scott Tingley with the Natural Resources Department told reporters that the blaze was caused by human activity and an open fire pit was found at the scene of the fire. "There was nobody in the area when crews arrived on the scene, that makes it impossible to hold the person or people responsible to account," Tingley said at a news briefing. "That's frustrating to everyone." Open fires are banned across Nova Scotia and violations come with a $25,000 fine. The province has also banned hiking, fishing and using vehicles in the woods, as well as any camping outside of designated camp sites. Anyone caught breaking the rules will face the same $25,000 punishment. Twelve people have been fined since last week, Premier Tim Houston told reporters. "It's certainly my hope that every single one of those is fully prosecuted and collected. It's just too serious of a situation right now," Houston said. Tingley said firefighters in the province had responded to 17 reports of wildfires in the past day. Firefighters were able to suppress and extinguish "a number of them quite easily" which allowed them to focus resources on the larger fires that require more attention, Tingley said. "Why are we getting these fires? It's dry, and unfortunately there's activities out there that are happening that shouldn't be," he said. Houston said there's been no loss of life or of structures thanks to the efforts of Nova Scotia's firefighters. "The main reason we haven't had a catastrophe yet is our firefighters. They're stretched very, very thin right now … they've done an amazing job," he said. The premier stressed that the "province is a tinder box" and urged Nova Scotians to take the wildfire restrictions seriously. "I get that people want to go for a hike or want to go for walk in the woods with their dog. But how would you like to be stuck in the woods while there's a fire burning around you?" Houston added that there's no significant rain in the forecast, and that as a result it's likely going to be "a long next few weeks."
Global News
6 days ago
- General
- Global News
Halifax wildfire that prompted evacuations is being held, officials say
A wildfire on the western outskirts of Halifax that had prompted evacuations is now being held, Nova Scotia officials say. But the update, posted at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, said firefighters would remain overnight at the scene of the fire near Susies Lake, which is about 10 kilometres west of downtown Halifax. The Halifax Regional Municipality said the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources estimated that the blaze remained around 15 hectares in size. The Susies Lake fire erupted on Tuesday afternoon close to businesses and homes in the Bayers Lake area and prompted the evacuation of three businesses in the Bayers Lake business park. It also forced a hardware store and restaurant to close and an outpatient clinic in the Susies Lake area was also shut. The latest update said the mandatory evacuations of all businesses in the plaza on the west side of Chain Lake Drive remained in place. Story continues below advertisement Earlier Wednesday, Scott Tingley with the Natural Resources Department told reporters that the blaze was caused by human activity and an open fire pit was found at the scene of the fire. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'There was nobody in the area when crews arrived on the scene, that makes it impossible to hold the person or people responsible to account,' Tingley said at a news briefing. 'That's frustrating to everyone.' Open fires are banned across Nova Scotia and violations come with a $25,000 fine. The province has also banned hiking, fishing and using vehicles in the woods, as well as any camping outside of designated camp sites. Anyone caught breaking the rules will face the same $25,000 punishment. Twelve people have been fined since last week, Premier Tim Houston told reporters. 'It's certainly my hope that every single one of those is fully prosecuted and collected. It's just too serious of a situation right now,' Houston said. Tingley said firefighters in the province had responded to 17 reports of wildfires in the past day. Firefighters were able to suppress and extinguish 'a number of them quite easily' which allowed them to focus resources on the larger fires that require more attention, Tingley said. 'Why are we getting these fires? It's dry, and unfortunately there's activities out there that are happening that shouldn't be,' he said. Story continues below advertisement Houston said there's been no loss of life or of structures thanks to the efforts of Nova Scotia's firefighters. 'The main reason we haven't had a catastrophe yet is our firefighters. They're stretched very, very thin right now … they've done an amazing job,' he said. The premier stressed that the 'province is a tinder box' and urged Nova Scotians to take the wildfire restrictions seriously. 'I get that people want to go for a hike or want to go for walk in the woods with their dog. But how would you like to be stuck in the woods while there's a fire burning around you?' Houston added that there's no significant rain in the forecast, and that as a result it's likely going to be 'a long next few weeks.' — With files from Brieanna Charlebois in Vancouver
Global News
7 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
Firefighters continue to battle out-of-control wildfire in Halifax business park
The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources says firefighters are back at the site of a large wildfire in the Halifax area on Wednesday morning. There are 30 firefighters battling the wildfire in the wooded area of Susies Lake of the Bayers Lake Business Park since sunrise. The estimated size of the wildfire still remains at about 25 to 30 hectares. 'We have short window of favourable foggy, misty conditions for ground crews,' NSDNR said on X. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy As of an update at 9 a.m. Wednesday, NSDNR said there are currently no aircrafts being used to battle the wildfire due to fog. Heavy smoke could be seen billowing from the area. The Halifax Regional Municipality said Tuesday night the Susies Lake wildfire is out of control but that progress was being made and that the fire was not expected to grow larger overnight. Some crews remained at the site for fire suppression and assessment. Story continues below advertisement 'People are asked to avoid unnecessary travel into the Bayers Lake area, until advised otherwise, as reducing traffic congestion will help emergency crews respond to the fire,' the municipality said. Evacuations were ordered for several businesses in the Bayers Lake Business Park on Tuesday afternoon. The area runs adjacent to a wooded area and was feeling the impact of the wildfire. However, local residents in homes were not told to evacuate. A special air quality statement remains in place for the Halifax area as of Wednesday morning. It warns that smoke from nearby wildfires is reducing local air quality.
