Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources says more evacuations are possible as a fire near Lake George in the Annapolis Valley continues to burn out of control.
Residents of Birch Lane, Spruce Drive and Blue Lane at Aylesford Lake’s southwest end have been told to prepare to evacuate.
The fire in Kings County, which broke out Sunday, is estimated to be 150 hectares. It had been pegged at 300 hectares Monday night but officials at a briefing Tuesday afternoon said that was the result of an overestimation due to dense smoke conditions.
Jim Rudderham, DNR’s director of fleet and forest protection, told reporters the cause of the fire has not been determined but it’s presumed human activity is responsible since there has been no lightning in the area.
“It’s frustrating for us and for everybody when this happens,” Rudderham said.
No buildings have been damaged but 275 civic addresses have been evacuated and 56 others are under an evacuation alert. Some of those addresses are cottages.
Dan Stovel, Kings County’s regional emergency management co-ordinator, told reporters Tuesday that all evacuees are being asked to register at a comfort centre at the Louis Millett Community Complex in New Minas, whether or not they plan to stay there.
Officials said people under evacuation alert should be ready to leave quickly with pets, medications, documents and supplies if an evacuation order is issued.
Authorities also urge residents to leave immediately if they feel unsafe.
Chris Levy, who lives just outside the evacuation zone, has not yet received an evacuation notice but decided he wasn’t going to wait for one.
“The fires have jumped fire barriers and they’ve done some strange things and I don’t really trust it. I’m so close to the evacuation area and I’m gonna leave for safety reasons. I have no choice. It’s the decision I’m making,” said Levy.
The fire has already forced evacuations between Kingswood Camp and the Fox Mountain campground, from Old Mill Lane to Simpson Cove Lane, and from Simpson Cove Lane along both sides of North River Road to Aylesford Lake Beach.
Ross Prost, who lives at the northern end of Lake George, said his family evacuated their home on Monday and they’re now staying with relatives.
“I pretty much spent an hour and a half just getting my insurance stuff and pictures of the children and things like that, the stuff that can’t be replaced,” he said.
Prost also left his sprinklers on as a precaution and with cameras on his home, he has an idea of what is happening.
“Right now there’s a great deal of smoke … it’s pretty intense, it’s not going to go away any time soon.”
Dave Corkum, the mayor of Kings County, urged residents to take the evacuations seriously and go to the comfort centre if needed.
“The main thing is to try to avoid any loss of life and property damage and that type of thing. So, we’re doing the best we can and [it’s] a very heartbreaking situation and our heart goes out to those people that are affected in those areas,” said Corkum.
He said the fire grew rapidly in a short amount of time.
“The woods and area is still very, very dry and no rain in sight for another week or two. So it’s still a desperate situation and people have to be very, very careful. And this is a prime example of how things can get out of hand very quickly. This fire just mushroomed,” said Corkum.
Levy said rising winds in the area are creating unease and uncertainty.
“The wind is at my back right now and the fire could shift and it might blow right up through here. And I’m thinking that that’s a chance. The water bombers are doing the best they can. The fire departments, you got to give them all the credit they deserve. But these wildfires [are] just unpredictable and hard to control, especially in the wind.”
A crew of 23 DNR and 20 local firefighters are on-site. Four Northwest Territories planes and one DNR and two contracted helicopters were dropping water and four more planes from Quebec were expected to arrive Tuesday morning.
The fire is moving from the northern end of Lake George eastward toward the northern end of Aylesford Lake.
It broke out just one day after the Long Lake wildfire in Annapolis County, which began Aug. 13 and destroyed 20 homes, was finally deemed under control.
Rudderham said firefighters are still at the Long Lake fire, which remains estimated at 8,468 hectares, but have been working on a rotational basis so they have been able to get some rest in between the two emergencies.
He said he has never seen a fire expand as quickly as the Lake George fire this late in the year.
“Never in my history here have I seen this, it’s been quite a year. Tomorrow is October and in most of my experience in this province, the rain starts in September and we are pretty much done. So, this is a new one for me.”
