HALIFAX — A senior Nova Scotia fire official revealed details Thursday about extraordinary efforts to save homes threatened by a large wildfire that continues to burn out of control on the western side of the province.
Provincial fire co-ordinator Dave Rockwood told a briefing that he recently helped roll out the largest "structure protection plan" in the province’s history, which included moving combustible materials, pumping water from nearby lakes and using sprinklers to create protective "moisture bubbles."
Those measures were initiated along a line that stretched for about 10 kilometres through Annapolis County, a firefighting tactic never before attempted at that scale in Nova Scotia, he said.
During one 24-hour period, firefighters in the West Dalhousie area pumped more than 2.8 million litres of water, much of it sprayed directly on rural homes. But some of it was sprayed into the air to create “moisture bubbles” to raise the local humidity, a tactic often used in the western provinces.
Rockwood said firefighters also took into consideration the presence of fuel tanks, old cars and tall grasses, as well as what type of roof each home had — with steel roofs providing the most protection.
In all, they managed to save 85 of the 88 homes they were trying to protect.
“We considered that quite successful,” Rockwood said. “I didn't expect anything to be left. We were looking at 200-foot flames peaking over the ridge. It's amazing that the structures are still there with the fire behavior that we've seen.”
Rockwood stressed that Natural Resources Department firefighters kept the flames from advancing long enough to allow their colleagues to remove objects like propane tanks and wooden patio furniture, and then set up pumps, hoses, sprinklers and portable water tanks.
“They've been going through absolute hell in the woods … and it bought us some time to raise the (humidity) and to get equipment in place."
There have been 147 wildfires reported so far this season in Nova Scotia, but the Long Lake fire south of Bridgetown, N.S., has been the biggest by far, consuming 84 of the 85 square kilometres burned in total.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources Department spokesman Jim Rudderham said firefighters were making progress containing the wildfire, but he said the lack of rain in the forecast means it will keep burning for some time.
“We continue to make advances all around this fire,” he told the briefing, adding that the fire had not grown in the past two days. “We’re still not expecting a lot of rain, but we’ll take whatever we can get.”
He said that as autumn approaches, cooler evening temperatures and thick coatings of morning dew and fog are helping firefighters.
“It means that the burn period through the daytime is starting to get smaller,” he said. “(But) we still need lots of rain …. It's a real possibility that we'll be into the fall before this this fire is declared out.”
The Long Lake fire started just over three weeks ago amid hot, drought-like conditions. But it remains designated as out of control because officials can’t say for sure that it won’t start growing again.
The fire destroyed 20 homes late last month and it forced about 1,000 people to evacuate their neighbourhoods, though most of those living on the eastern side of the fire were allowed to return on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.
Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
