A wildfire on the western outskirts of Halifax that had prompted evacuations is now being held, Nova Scotia officials say.
But the update, posted at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, said firefighters would remain overnight at the scene of the fire near Susies Lake, which is about 10 kilometres west of downtown Halifax.
The Halifax Regional Municipality said the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources estimated that the blaze remained around 15 hectares in size.
Government officials confirmed on Wednesday that the wildfire near Bayers Lake was caused by human activity, noting the investigation is ongoing.
In a press conference, Scott Tingley, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Protection Manager, said officials found an open fire at the centre of the blaze that broke out on the afternoon of Aug. 12.
When crews arrived, there was no one in the area, making it frustrating to hold the person or people accountable, he said.
In normal circumstances, crews might have 25 to 30 minutes before a blaze is out of control, but with the conditions across Nova Scotia, it’s more like five minutes or less, Premier Tim Houston said.
“So far we’ve been dodging bullets,” he said. “Think about it: 17 fires just in the last 24 hours. The province is a tinderbox. It’s so easy for a fire to start right now.”
There has been no significant rain in the province since June, and Tingley and Houston noted, it’s going to be “a long next few weeks” as there isn’t the needed precipitation in the forecast.
“The main reason we haven’t had a catastrophe yet is because of our firefighters. They are stretched very, very thin right now.”
Officials pleading with people to stay out of the woods
People who usually spend time in the woods are avoiding it, Houston said, not only to comply with the woods ban the province implemented last week, but because they don’t want to be responsible for a fire.
“Forest contractors are voluntarily pausing their operations because it’s just too dry,” he said.
There has been some pushback against the woods ban, which carries a fine of $25,000 if violated. In the last week, there have been 12 fines issued for people not following the woods ban or the fire ban across Nova Scotia.
“I get that people want to go for a hike or want to go for a walk in the woods…but how would you like to be stuck in the woods while there’s a fire burning around?” Houston said. “I don’t think anybody would want that either. So be smart, be human, don’t look for loopholes.”
Government officials are imploring people to treat the conditions and number of wildfires occurring with the seriousness it deserves.
Mandatory evacuations from Bayers Lake fire
There is a mandatory evacuation in place for all businesses in the plaza on the west side of Chain Lake Drive, including addresses 205, 213 and 225.
Officials said in an update that this is to manage traffic and protect workers.
Several street closures are in place to allow crews to access the blaze.
- Chain Lake Drive between the Highway 102 off-ramp (inbound lane only)
- Julius Boulevard
- Susie Lake Crescent from Julius Boulevard
Tuesday afternoon, officials evacuated several businesses, including the Kent Building Supplies store and a Tim Hortons, and the Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre.
Dry conditions fuelling wildfires and fears
Rainfall has plummeted to roughly 60 per cent of normal levels in Halifax, with 270 millimetres falling from April to the end of July, compared to average levels of 460 mm for the same period, Agriculture Canada says.
“It looks to be one of the driest Augusts on record (to date) … preceded by one of the driest months of July to date,” Environment Canada forecaster Brian Proctor said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.
Trevor Hadwen, a specialist with Agriculture Canada, said that while the drought conditions aren’t unprecedented in the Atlantic region, 2025 has been an “abnormally dry” year.
“The drought in some regions has come on strong and we’re seeing some pretty severe impacts from the drought, such as water supply losses and shortages and drying up of surface water supplies,” he said on Monday.
– Files from Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press
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