Shelburne County man charged in Barrington Lake wildfire

Charges have been laid in last spring’s Barrington Lake wildfire. (Communications Nova Scotia photo)

By Rick Conrad

A 22-year-old Shelburne County man has been charged in last year’s historic Barrington Lake wildfire.

Dalton Clark Stewart, of Villagedale, was charged under the Forests Act on Wednesday. He is accused of lighting a fire on private land without permission, failing to take reasonable efforts to prevent the spread of a fire and leaving a fire unattended.

Stewart is scheduled to appear in Shelburne provincial court on March 7.

These are not criminal charges. Police have said they don’t plan to pursue criminal charges in the wildfires. The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables investigated and laid the charges.

In a news release Thursday, the department said it is still investigating the wildfire in Tantallon last spring. It has two years from the date of an offence to lay charges.

The maximum penalties under the Forests Act are a $50,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

The Barrington Lake wildfire began on May 26 and burned 23,379 hectares. It was declared under control on June 13. The Tantallon wildfire began May 28 and burned 969 hectares. It was declared under control June 4. Both fires were extinguished on July 26.

The Barrington Lake fire forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 people and destroyed 60 homes and cottages, as well as 150 other buildings. The Tantallon fire razed 151 homes and forced more than 16,000 residents to flee the area.

The wildfire that spread through Shelburne County was the worst in the province’s recorded history.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com