There are no plans to send Nova Scotia firefighters to BC to assist with the wildfires.
Jim Rudderham with the Department of Natural Resources says they haven’t received a request to offer aid yet, but are ready to go when called upon.
“Usually we’re asked and we would send people the next day. It’s usually a 24 hour turnaround. We have good, trained people that are ready for this kind of work and they know it [the call] could come so they’re always ready.”
Temperatures are creeping up here as well and the South Shore is showing a high probability of fire on the DNR fire weather forecast map.
Rudderham says Nova Scotians know how to prevent wildfires, but sometimes, a careless moment is all it takes.
“People do listen, but I think sometimes people just aren’t aware of how dry it can be and how quickly something can get away from them. It would shock people sometimes to say, ‘Oh my goodness, look what I just did. I don’t believe that happened to me.’ We here that a lot.”
Rudderham reminds people to be careful in the woods with anything that could start a fire.
He says even hot exhausts on ATVs can touch off a fire in tall grass.
He says to follow the burn safe guidelines whenever you light a fire.
