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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.