**** DNR Release
DNR Update on Wildfires, June 1
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There are currently 16 active wildfires in the province. Below are details on the five largest wildfires.
Barrington Lake, Shelburne County:
— fire is still out of control, covering 18,173 hectares (181.7 square kilometres)
— firefighters include more than 35 from Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) and more than 40 volunteer/municipal.
Lake Road, Municipality of the District of Shelburne:
— fire is still out of control, estimated at 120 hectares
— 23 DNRR firefighters
Evacuation information for the Shelburne fires is available at: https://www.facebook.com/shelb
Pubnico, Yarmouth County:
— fire is still out of control and covers 163 hectares
— firefighters on scene include 20 from DNRR and 10 volunteer/municipal
Air and heavy equipment resources, including eight air tankers from New Brunswick and two water bombers from Newfoundland and Labrador, are being co-ordinated between the three wildfires in Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.
Westwood Hills, Tantallon:
— fire is 50 per cent contained, but still out of control, at an estimated 837 hectares
— firefighters on scene include 40 from DNRR, six from Prince Edward Island, 117 from Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and nine from Department of National Defence
— air resources include three helicopters and one water bomber from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Containment efforts include a combination of fire-supressing methods including dozer breaks, natural breaks, and nearby highways. The fire still poses a number of areas of concern, keeping the status out of control.
Hammonds Plains:
— fire is holding at four hectares and is 80 per cent contained
— 10 HRM volunteer firefighters are on scene
Up-to-date information on HRM comfort centres, evacuation centres, response efforts and more, is available https://www.halifax.ca/ and by following @hfxgov on Twitter.
People are asked to please remain away from all wildfire areas.
Quick Facts:
— there is a provincewide ban on open fires; the fine has been increased to $25,000 for breaking the burn ban
— people should not operate drones over a forest fire; drones can interfere with the suppression effort and pose a danger to aircraft and first responders
— people should only call 911 if their health or safety is threatened and they need immediate help; for non-emergencies in HRM related to the police, people can call 902-490-5016
Additional Resources:
Information on school closures and other updates related to the wildfires are available at: https://novascotia.ca/alerts/
Burn restrictions: https://novascotia.ca/burnsafe
News Release – Province Announces Restrictions During Wildfires: https://novascotia.ca/news/rel
News Release – Increased Fine for Breaking Burn Ban: https://novascotia.ca/news/rel
