More evacuations have been ordered and the Long Lake wildfire in Annapolis County, N.S., is growing due to strong winds and high temperatures, the Department of Natural Resources says.
Jim Rudderham, the department’s director of fleet and forest protection, told reporters Sunday afternoon that weather conditions are working against the efforts of firefighters trying to bring the blaze in the West Dalhousie area under control.
“Everything in fire behaviour you don’t want happening is happening today, so we have winds, high winds, we have no rain, we have high temperatures and low humidity,” Rudderham said at a briefing on the fire.
An emergency alert issued after the beginning of the news conference said an evacuation order has been expanded to include homes on Morse Road between civic numbers 571 and 1073, and on Thorne Road between civic numbers 4272 and 4291.
More than 100 homes were evacuated — affecting roughly 215 people — on Aug. 14, a day after the fire started.
Sunday’s alert said the new evacuees should check in at the emergency reception centre at the Bridgetown fire hall.
The size of the fire was last estimated at 3,255 hectares — or more than 32 square kilometres.
Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection with the Department of Natural Resources, told reporters on Sunday afternoon that the fire has likely expanded since Saturday night and will continue to grow.
“This is the day we’ve been planning for and to be quite honest, hoping wouldn’t come true in the forecast. It’s going to be a challenging day,” said Tingley
Tingley also said that on Saturday night, part of the fire was estimated to be a kilometre away from the West Dalhousie Road, while the most intense part of the fire was about three kilometres from the road.
The wildfire command post was moved from the West Dalhousie area to Bridgetown on Saturday as a precautionary measure.
In a social media post, Nova Scotia Power said they will temporarily shut off electricity on Morse Road with little or no notice so first responders can work around their equipment.’
Tingley said said the Department of Emergency Management is working to set up sprinklers around homes, structures and woods in the area to mitigate the impacts of the fire if it reaches the community.
Environment Canada said wind gusts of 40 km/h are expected in the West Dalhousie area today. It also issued an air quality warning for Annapolis County as of Sunday morning, saying that smoke from the wildfire “will significantly reduce air quality downwind.”
There is rain in the forecast for Monday, but officials caution that a lot more rain is needed to make a dent in the wildfire. Rudderham said new fires emerging elsewhere in the province is still a major concern while dry conditions remain.
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