Crews battling wildfire in Musquodoboit area; burn ban in effect across Nova Scotia

Provincial fire crews, a helicopter, and several fire departments are responding to a wildfire in the Musquodoboit area of Nova Scotia.

The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNR) says the helicopter is dropping buckets of water on the fire and ground crews are fighting the blaze around the community of Chaplin.

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Deputy Chief Roy Hollett says there are between 30 and 35 trucks and 50 firefighters on scene.

The fire is estimated to be 20 hectares in size.

Power to the area has been restored after Nova Scotia Power cut electricity to it following a request from DNR around 1:25 p.m. Friday.

This is the second significant wildfire in the province this week.

Crews have also been battling a wildfire near Horseshoe Lake in Yarmouth County since Monday night. The wildfire had spread to 3,100 hectares, but DNR said Thursday that it had not spread further and was 60 per cent contained.

Hollett says a water bomber from Newfoundland and Labrador, which has been assisting in Yarmouth County, is now on its way to Dean to help crews there.

“Weather conditions remain generally unfavourable for combatting wildfires in the province,” said CTV Atlantic’s Chief Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell.

“Friday conditions are a mix of sun and cloud with a southerly wind increasing to become sustained 10 to 20 kilometres per hour with gusts 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. The relative humidity is 40 to 50 per cent, except higher for coastal areas.”

Mitchell says similar conditions will continue Saturday, with a mix of sun, cloud and dry, hot temperatures reaching the mid-to-high 20s away from the coast.

DNR has most of Nova Scotia listed in the “high” to the “very high” category on the fire weather index. A higher rating is indicative of a greater risk for wildfire ignition and growth.

As a result, DNR announced a provincewide no-burn order around 2:10 p.m. Friday. The department says open fires, like burning brush or backyard campfires, are not permitted in the province at this time.

Burn restrictions are updated daily at 2 p.m.