Fire Risk Continues Extreme in Nova Scotia

A forest fire continues to smoulder just south of Amherst, and the rest of Nova Scotia is on alert. Conditions remain high to extreme throughout the province, as shown by the yellow, orange, and red on the attached map. The only exception is Richmond County on Cape Breton Island where the index is moderate, as marked in green.

Fire fighters continue to surround the blaze at Fenwick, about seven kilometres south of Amherst, off Highway 2. They secured a line around the fire and have it contained. Fire officials report that no homes were in danger.

The province is extremely dry, the ideal condition for fire to burn into the ground. The Fenwick fire will take some time put out because these conditions allow fire to burn unseen, leading to hot spots and flare-ups.

Meanwhile, a ban on open burning remains in effect, though many people are ignoring the warnings. Halifax Fire answered 93 calls to camp and bonfires in one day. Pugwash Fire had three last Saturday, and fire departments throughout Six Rivers are forced to waste manpower and resources responding to such calls. The fine for having an open fire during the ban is over forty dollars.

Community Fireworks Not Affected

Consumer fireworks are not allowed during an open fire ban. Consumer fireworks being the smaller packages sold for backyard display. 

However, Display Fireworks, the kind planned for Thursday in Wallace, and Canada Day in Pugwash and many other communities, are not affected by the ban because they are lit under carefully controlled conditions, either with a fire department presence or in consultation with fire officials.