Barrington Lake wildfire 'being held,' not expected to move weather permitting
A record-size wildfire in Shelburne County, N.S., isn’t likely to move if conditions don't change, officials say.
The nearly 25,000-hectare Barrington Lake fire is still out of control but classified as “being held,” the municipality said Tuesday night. It’s the largest of the five active wildfires in Nova Scotia, and about 140 DNRR firefighters and 40 volunteer and municipal firefighters are on the scene.
The province says 150 structures in Shelburne County are destroyed -- about 60 of them houses or cottages. About 5,500 people left their homes at the height of evacuations, including Barry Doane.
Fire burned through his home, cottage, and almost everything he owned.
“It’s devastating,” Doane said. “I usually break out in tears most of the time just talking about it. Just one wrong word and it just kind of brings out tears.”
He ran to safety with his cat and a suitcase.
The craftsman’s house and cottage aren’t insured but even if they were, so much was irreplaceable.
“It’s hard to imagine what I lost. My father was an artist. He did beautiful paintings and I never took none of them, none of that stuff.”
The province says reentry into evacuated areas will hinge on progress made in an ongoing investigation into the wildfire.
Dave Rockwood with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables told CTV News Tuesday that firefighters are having a much better week so far compared to the previous one.
“With the rain over the weekend, it’s calmed down quite a bit and we’re able to get in and do a direct attack, get our crews in the woods and really start digging this,” Rockwood said.
The Shelburne area has seen about 95 millimetres of rain since Friday.
Now, firefighters in the area are hoping for a pause in the rainy weather.
“Oddly enough, now we need the weather to break and give us a bit of a clear sky,” Rockwood said.
“Last week we were definitely praying for the rain… now we really need to be able to get up and get our aircraft in the air and start moving some people around by aircraft, get them into these more remote locations, we need to get back into those spots.”
Rockwood said in addition to using infrared scans and rotary wing aircraft, firefighters are doing something called “cold trailing.”
The “old fashioned” firefighting tactic involves the crew removing their gloves and touching the ground and trees to find hotspots.
“The crews are using all their senses out there to try and track down those little last sparks and embers that are out there,” Rockwood said.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.