Fire officials are keeping a close watch on Maritime forests as a wave of warm, dry weather hits the region.
Much of southern and western Nova Scotia is at high risk of forest fires and parts of western Cape Breton have registered as extreme.
Today the risk index in Cape Breton was moderate, but only because of recent rain.
“Other areas of the province didn’t get that rain, so they’re continuing in the high fire weather index category and perhaps climbing,” says Natural Resources fire technician Glenn Wallace. “All we need is some wind and other variables to change and it will go extreme.”
The Cape Breton Highlands National Park just had a small forest fire caused by lightening, but Wallace says most fires are manmade and preventable.
“Any fire is not necessarily out just because there’s no flame or smoke left,” says Wallace. “If there’s hot coals or embers in the bed, it’s not out. If you can’t hold your hand in there, it needs more water.”
Alexis MacDonald owns a campground and says most bonfires are OK, but common sense can make the difference between fun and disaster.
“As long as it is in a fire pit and of a certain size, it has to be a certain distance from trailers or anything wooden or that could ignite,” says MacDonald.
Extreme caution is recommended around softwood trees, where the leaves are layered and branches hang low, which is how grass fires can turn into forest fires.
“In the past we’ve had as many as 12 to13 fire departments respond to one single fire event in the forest,” says Fire Chief Brent Denny.
DNR says there have been 75 wildfires in Cape Breton County this spring and summer. Officials hope that number, like recent temperatures, won’t soar much higher.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald
