Firefighting efforts continue in Shelburne County
Fire crews are still working to extinguish the 23,525 hectares fire near Barrington Lake.
Helicopters are in the air, however the smoke-filled horizon that had become a common sight in Shelburne County is now gone.
Highway 103 between Exits 27 and 30 will reopen to the public at 8 p.m. Thursday, though motorists will not be allowed to stop along this section of highway.
There has been strong progress, but fire crews are not out of the woods yet.
“The fire is still being held at this time and that means we are not expecting the perimeter to grow,” said David Rockwood, public information officer for the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR).
From the helicopter, DNRR staff continue to spot smouldering areas that need dousing.
“We do know that it has gone down into the ground. It’s not too deep, but it’s down in the ground. The ground is drying out quickly,” Rockwood said.
To help pinpoint those spots, special equipment is en route from British Columbia.
“They’ll do thermal imaging scan, so registering the heat in the ground and that will make it easier for us to find a hotspot,” he said.
All this means some residents still can’t return home.
“Couch surfing with friends and family is an enormous amount of pressure on relationships and those are the lucky people. Sleeping on a cot in the arena is also not fun,” Ingomar resident, Cheryl Atkinson, said.
Oil spills, septic backups and hotspots are being blamed for keeping residents like Atkinson out of their homes.
The fire is being attacked by 130 DNRR firefighters with help from outside the province and municipal and volunteer firefighters on scene. Crews are working to extinguish what’s left of the largest forest fire in the province’s history.
The Salvation Army has taken on the task of feeding the hungry crews battling the fire, serving more than 250 meals a day for ten days straight.
“At the end of the day they need a good hearty meal at the end of the day because they’re cold, they’re tired, they’re wet, and to come in for a good meal, hot meal,” Major Marie Osborne-Keeping with the Salvation Army, said.
For More Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Annual inflation rate increased to 2.9% in March
The annual inflation rate ticked higher in March compared with February, boosted by higher prices for gasoline, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.
Ontario woman charged almost $7,000 for 20-minute taxi ride abroad
An Ontario woman was shocked to find she’d been charged nearly $7,000 after unknowingly using an unauthorized taxi company while on vacation in January.
Freeland to present 2024 federal budget, promising billions in new spending
Canadians will learn Tuesday the entirety of the federal Liberal government's new spending plans, and how they intend to pay for them, when Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tables the 2024 federal budget.
Tim Hortons launches pizza nationally to 'stretch the brand' to afternoon, night
Tim Hortons is launching flatbread pizzas nationally in a bid to pick up more afternoon and evening customers.
Thousands of dollars worth of tropical fish stolen from Ottawa Valley restaurant
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the theft of "several thousand" dollars worth of tropical fish stolen from an Upper Ottawa Valley restaurant last week.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
B.C. woman facing steep medical bills, uncertain future after Thailand crash
The family of a Victoria, B.C., woman who was seriously injured in an accident in Thailand is pleading for help as medical bills pile up.
A 9-year-old boy's dream of a pet octopus is a sensation as thousands follow Terrance's story online
The one thing 9-year-old Cal Clifford wanted more than anything since he was a toddler was a pet octopus.
190 decaying bodies were found at a Colorado funeral home. Owners charged with COVID fraud of US$880K
A couple who owned a Colorado funeral home where authorities last year discovered 190 decaying bodies were indicted on federal charges that they misspent nearly US$900,000 in pandemic relief funds on vacations, cosmetic surgery, jewelry and other personal expenses, according to court documents unsealed Monday.