No fireworks permitted over long weekend; burn ban in place

CITYnews halifax / By Rachel Morgan

Fireworks will not be permitted in Halifax over the long weekend as a result of a province-wide burn ban the Nova Scotia government says will be in place until mid-October.

The ban was implemented on July 30 as a result of weather conditions that are suitable for expanding wildfires.

“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,” Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources, said. “We’ve had a lot of small, manageable fires this month and conditions are now ripe for any small fire to grow larger. Nobody wants a repeat of the devastation we experienced in 2023. I ask all Nova Scotians to co-operate, respect the burn ban and save their campfires and other open fires for a safer time.”

The province said 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.

The province says that during a fire ban, consumer fireworks are not permitted. This means over the civic long weekend the sky-high light shows will be limited.

“Fireworks are allowed by professional firework companies that have signed approval from the local authority that has jurisdiction (for example, municipality or fire department) along with the proper fire equipment and measures,” the province’s website states.

The fine for violating the ban is $25,000.