Update 7:20 p.m.: Tantallon wildfire under control, premier issues burn-ban warning

The wildfire in Tantallon, in the south end of Big Indian Lake, is now under control.

In a post on X, Thursday evening, the Department of Natural Resources says crews will remain on site for a few more days to put out hot spots and fully put the fire out.

According to the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters, it broke out around 3 p.m., Wednesday by Pipeline Road, Head of St. Margaret’s Bay.

Once on scene, the union says crews saw heavy smoke coming from a “heavily wooded area”, but it was knocked down before it could spread.

“Special thanks to the skilled DNR helicopter pilots deployed from the Shubenacadie Flight Operations Centre, who began water drops before ground crews could access the fire – a decisive factor in containing it,” says the fire union.

Very dry

Conditions are very dry in the province.

Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection with DNR tells us we have a deficit upwards of 200 mm in parts of the province.

“Even though we did have a relatively wet and cool spring…a lot of people probably remember, it pretty much rained every weekend there for quite a period. It was just kind of enough to keep the edge off,” says Tingley.

Now he says, according to the weather forecast, we are going to go another 10 to 12 days without any significant rain.

When asked if conditions this year compare to 2023 when the Upper Tantallon and Barrington Lake wildfires broke out, Tingley says they do, but are even more reminiscent of 2016 and the fires in the Queens County area.

“That was in August as well after a prolonged period of no rain. What we see at this time of year is fires burn even deeper into the ground, which contributes to the intensity of the fires and just makes them that much more challenging to suppress and fully extinguish,” adds Tingley.

He says, ideally, we need a few days of light to moderate rain -a really good soaking.

Burn ban

All of Nova Scotia is under a burn ban, which is now in effect until mid-October.

In a news release Wednesday evening, Minister Tory Rushton says no one wants a repeat of the devastation of 2023.

The ban applies to open fires such as campfires, bonfires, brush fires, fires in chimeneas and any other fire that is not enclosed and uses wood as the fuel.

Non-woodburning devices like charcoal and gas barbeques and gas stoves are allowed to be used, following manufacturer’s instructions.

Premier Tim Houston has issued a strong warning on the burn ban.

In a post on X, Thursday morning, Houston says the fine for violating the burn ban is $25,000 “and there will be no hesitation to issue them.”

In addition, in a news release, the Nova Scotia Office of the Fire Marshall is reminding that during a burn ban, no consumer fireworks are permitted, as Natal Day approaches.

Consumer fireworks are the outdoor, low altitude, recreation fireworks.