Annapolis County wildfire destroys 20 homes, with more dry weather ahead

CITYnews halifax / By Natasha O’Neill

After a difficult battle to protect structures, government officials revealed that 20 homes have been lost to a growing blaze in Annapolis County.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, firefighters faced their most difficult conditions yet, as the flames from the Long Lake wildfire were so hot that not even water could reduce its impact. It grew substantially over a 12-hour period as winds and dry trees fueled the fire, burning 20 homes in West Dalhousie.

“It was devastating news, and our hearts were broken for those who lost their homes in the West Dalhousie wildfire. These were not just structures, they were places filled with memories, comfort and meaning,” Diane LeBlanc, Warden, County of Annapolis, said.

The houses lost were on West Dalhousie, Thorne and Morse roads; not all were primary residences. Another 11 structures, like garages or sheds, were lost or damaged in the area. Officials could not confirm the number of homes that have been damaged as a result of the blaze.

Of the 88 homes that crews set up sprinkler systems around, three were lost entirely, with officials saying this was a grim “success” that not more structures were destroyed. Minister of Emergency Management, Kim Masland, said the reason for the homes being burnt down had to do with the areas they were in and the topography around the property.

She detailed in a press conference on Thursday that there have been 505 civic addresses evacuated because of the wildfire. Not all of these are homes, and the figure also doesn’t reflect the number of people impacted. To date, 518 evacuees have registered with the Red Cross.

The latest on the Long Lake wildfire

Long Lake wildfire grows to nearly 8,300 hectares: DNR

Annapolis County wildfire expected to be a long fight, officials say

Some homes lost in ‘devastating’ Annapolis County wildfire

More evacuations ordered as crews fight growing Annapolis County wildfire

Weather conditions against crews

There is a concern from officials that the fire could grow again like it did over the weekend.

“Until this fire is under control, there’s always a fear that the weather will take a turn for the worse again,” Jim Rudderham, director of forest and fleet protection with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said.

An update on Aug. 28 notes that there are now 11 helicopters, six planes and bird dogs attacking the flames from the sky. On the ground, there are a crew of 12 from DNR, 89 from Ontario, 70 local firefighters, plus more than 70 heavy equipment operators desperately trying to limit the spread of Nova Scotia’s largest and only out-of-control wildfire.

The blaze is estimated to be about 8,247 hectares, almost five times as big as the Bedford Basin in Halifax.

A slight bit of rain on Wednesday afternoon aided teams in building up barriers between the flames and the dry forest. Experts have warned that because of the drought conditions and lack of rain in the forecast, this is expected to be a long incident.

Environment Canada is providing a bit of hope to the teams tirelessly fighting the fires. The forecast from the weather agency is showing a 60 per cent chance of showers on Saturday, which could bring some much-needed relief to crews and allow them to focus on controlling the flames.

However, the weather appears dry on Friday, and the winds, according to the forecast, will become south blowing at 20 km/h.

A compost bin melted by the fire (Province of Nova Scotia)