Several $25,000 fines issued for violating burn bans, says Natural Resources

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources says it has issued several large fines this year for violating the provincial burn ban.

The department says this season, it has issued 25 fines for burn-ban violations, including seven at the increased $25,000 level.

It says 24 of those charges were for violating daily burn restrictions, with six of those being the $25,000 fine. One additional $25,000 fine has been laid for violating the province-wide burn ban, which was implemented last week.

“The devastation of the 2023 wildfires is still fresh in Nova Scotians’ memories,” said a spokesperson for the department. “Together with the large fine, there are strong deterrents to follow the wildfire prevention measures.”

The $25,000 fine was made permanent in May. In addition to burn-ban violations, that fine is also in place for violating the province’s new ban on travel and activities in the woods.