Nova Scotia wildfire burns out of control as hot, windy weather intensifies blaze

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This article was published 28/05/2023 (1160 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A wildfire burning out of control in southwestern Nova Scotia nearly doubled in size in matter of hours on Sunday as dry, hot and windy conditions quickly intensified the blaze.

Officials with the province’s Department of Natural Resources said the wildfire had scorched an estimated 1,354 hectares by Sunday afternoon, growing from 775 hectares earlier in the day.

The Shelburne County fire “escaped containment” on Saturday night as searing winds propelled flames through a largely forested area around Barrington Lake, about an hour southeast of Yarmouth, department spokesperson Patricia Jreige said in a statement.

A growing crew of emergency officials are on the ground, including 35 provincial firefighters and 50 volunteer firefighters. They are being supported by two helicopters, six air tankers from New Brunswick, heavy equipment and an incident management team, Jreige said.

But she said the hot, dry weather is making fire suppression challenging.

Some local roads were closed as the fire moved. A stretch of Highway 103 was shuttered from exit 27 to exit 30 after fire crossed the road between exits 28 and 29, Jreige said.

Power in the area may be interrupted to allow for safe operations, she added.

Nearby homes have been evacuated, while at least one remote cabin has been destroyed and the status of others is unknown.

Local police, Red Cross, and ground search and rescue officials are helping evacuees, many of whom are heading to the municipal building in Barrington, Jreige said.

Nova Scotia has banned provincial park campfires in the western end of the province for the time being.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2023.