It appears a burn ban in place across Nova Scotia will remain in effect for the near future.<\/p>\n
According to a spokesperson from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, drought-like conditions over the past two weeks have left the forest floor extremely dry. Wildfire Prevention Officer Kara McCurdy says due to a combination of high temperatures and wind and low humidity the smallest spark could set off a forest fire.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t have any fires period, whether it be campfire or brush burning. Being careful where you place anything hot. Like, if you\u2019re welding, don\u2019t weld in dry vegetation. If you\u2019re running an all-terrain vehicle that you make sure to clear the exhaust off frequently because stuff accumulates around that and can get hot and drop,\u201d said McCurdy. \u201cEven camping, if you\u2019re walking in the woods don\u2019t discard any cigarettes, don\u2019t play with matches or lighters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Environment Canada has issued an extreme heat warning for Nova Scotia and is forecasting temperatures into the high 20s until next week. There is a chance of showers over that time, however, McCurdy says they likely won\u2019t be enough to lower the fire hazard.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s not enough to really impact wetting the fuels down in the forest,\u201d We\u2019ll probably leave the ban in place until we get significant rain, which is a continued amount of rain of 20mm plus.<\/p>\n
McCurdy says a few days of steady rain is key to preventing forest fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the rain that comes from thunder cells will just quickly run off,\u201d said McCurdy. \u201cThe ground is so hard now from being dry for so long that it\u2019s just going to drain off really quick.\u201d<\/p>\n
McCurdy says there have been seven new forest fires of varying sizes across Nova Scotia over the past week.<\/p>\n
Several of those are the result of campfires being left unattended or from people clearing their properties by burning the brush.<\/p>\n
Crews are working to get a 1-hectare fire in Cumberland County under control.<\/p>\n
She says people need to pay attention to the burn ban to safeguard the forests, their property, fire crews and themselves against fire.<\/p>\n
Burn restrictions are updated on the novascotia.ca\/burnsafe<\/a> web page everyday at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n