By Chloe Hannan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Guysborough Journal
GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY: Announced July 30, the provincial ban prohibits all open wood-burning fires, including campfires, brush burning and chimeneas, until at least Wednesday, Oct. 15 unless conditions improve.
“We’ve had a lot of hot, dry weather, very little rain and there’s no significant rain in the forecast in the near future,” Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) Minister Tory Rushton said in the release. “Nobody wants a repeat of the devastation we experienced in 2023.”
That message is resonating at the local level.
“It’s dry, and it’s going to get drier,” said St. Mary’s Warden James Fuller. “We had two woods fires in the last week alone, and one big pile of garbage caught on fire just from the heat. We’re lucky our volunteer firefighters were quick to respond.”
Fuller said calls like this are coming earlier and more often than in past summers.
“Liscomb had one that could’ve been just catastrophic, but they [firefighters] were there within minutes,” he said. “If we weren’t at another within 10 minutes, it would’ve been even worse.”
The dry conditions, worsened by lingering debris from Hurricane Fiona, are raising the alarm.
“There’s still deadfall all through the forest lands, and people are just careless,” Fuller said. “One cigarette butt can light it up.”
He’s also deeply concerned about staffing.
“A good half of our fire department is off working during the day. That leaves the retired folks and the one or two people who might have a day off,” he said. “If something really big happened, would we have enough personnel and equipment to be able to handle it?”
Although the province increased the Emergency Services Provider Fund to $30,000 this year, Fuller said it doesn’t stretch far.
“One air pack costs $10,000, and we can’t use the fund to buy trucks or big equipment … the things we need most.”
Across the county in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG), civic officials are focused on prevention.
“We follow DNRR’s direction on fire restrictions and share daily burn map updates on our social channels,” said MODG Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Shawn Andrews in a statement. “We recently shared information about a ‘wildfire protection kit’ to help protect your home from a wildfire.”
So far, wildland fire calls have been low in the MODG, he added. Still, he urged people to stay aware.
“Ensure your property is fire smart, be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice, and join your local fire department to help protect your community.”
The DNRR, which leads wildfire management in the province, says the warning signs are clear.
“Even though some stations in Guysborough County recorded two to three millimetres of rain this week, it’s not enough to reduce the overall risk,” said Scott Tingley, forest protection manager for DNRR. “Once the sun comes out again, that risk is right back up.”
He said crews are encountering wildfires that burn deep into the forest floor, making suppression much harder.
“A little brush fire that seems harmless may not be,” he warned. “Even when people think they’ve put them out, we’ve had to dig deep into the ground with axes and shovels and pour water in … all just to fully extinguish them.”
Tingley added that conditions are becoming comparable to the extreme fire year of 2016.
“We’re already in a precipitation deficit ranging anywhere from 100 to 200 millimetres across the province. And we don’t expect significant rainfall for at least another 10 to 12 days.”
To monitor and respond, the province relies on 31 weather stations and mobile wildfire crews across Nova Scotia.
“But the message right now is simple,” Tingley said. “No open fires. It’s not worth the risk.”
While firefighting resources are ready to deploy, Tingley emphasized that prevention remains the most important tool.
“A single spark can place enormous strain on limited firefighting capacity. We’re doing everything we can, but we also need the public’s cooperation.”
In places like St. Mary’s, Fuller said the community is doing its part, but more provincial support is needed to sustain long-term fire readiness.
“If the province helped more with recruitment and training, it would go a lot further than studies and promises,” he said.
His department was able to purchase four new air packs this summer with provincial funding but had to contribute $20,000 of their funds to make it happen.
“Some of our equipment is 30 years old … they don’t even make parts for it anymore,” he said.
With wildfire risk expected to intensify in the coming weeks, all three levels of government are asking the public to remain cautious and alert.
According to the provincial announcement last week, “The ban applies to open fires such as campfires, bonfires, brush fires, fires in chimeneas and any other fire that is not enclosed and uses wood as the fuel. Unlike gas or charcoal fires, sparks could escape from an open wood fire and cause a wildfire.”
It added: “The fine for violating the ban …. which will remain in place until October 15 – the end of wildfire season – or until conditions improve … is $25,000.”