An air tanker from the Northwest Territories flies over the area where firefighters are battling the Long Lake wildfire in Nova Scotia's Annapolis County, outside the community of West Dalhousie, N.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
HALIFAX - The Long Lake wildfires in western Nova Scotia continued to burn out of control on the weekend, but firefighters were reporting significant progress almost four weeks after the fire started.
The province’s Natural Resources Department issued a statement Sunday saying the fires south of Bridgetown had not grown beyond their 84-square-kilometre perimeter and there were no new reports of damage.
As well, the department said firefighters had finished surrounding the burned area with fire breaks, which includes areas carved from the woods with heavy equipment and the installation of water hoses in some locations.
As a result, firefighters were advancing toward the fires on the weekend, with some firefighters reaching up to 300 metres from the perimeter.
Though firefighters had to contend with hot, dry conditions on Saturday, some rain was in the forecast for Sunday night.
Meanwhile, about 40 firefighters from the department were getting help Sunday from 18 firefighters from Ontario, 40 from Quebec and about 60 local volunteers.
There have been 147 wildfires reported so far this season in Nova Scotia, but the Long Lake fires in Annapolis County have been the biggest by far, consuming 84 of the 85 square kilometres burned in total.
On Friday, Natural Resources spokesman Jim Rudderham said that as autumn approaches, cooler evening temperatures and thick coatings of morning dew are helping firefighters.
Still, he said it’s possible the Long Lake fires will not be declared out until later this fall.
The fire destroyed 20 homes late last month and it forced about 1,000 people to evacuate their neighbourhoods in the area around West Dalhousie, N.S., though most of those living on the eastern side of the fire were allowed to return last Wednesday.Â
This report by °µÍø½ûÇø was first published Sept. 7, 2025.
°µÍø½ûÇø. All rights reserved.
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