Nova Scotia Burn Safe map June 13 23 from NS Burn Safe website

The Nova Scotia Government has lifted the province-wide burn ban and remaining restrictions on travel and activities in the woods as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Burning is still not permitted between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. but may now be allowed after 2 p.m. depending on local conditions.

The province announced the lifting of restrictions shortly after issuing a release stating the Barrington Lake wildfire in Shelburne County is now under control.

The fire grew to a final size of 23,525 hectares (about 235 square kilometres) and is not expected to spread.

The release says, “…firefighters from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR), the Department of National Defence, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the United States are still on the scene doing mop up. Volunteer and municipal firefighters are on call to help.”

It goes on to explain, “Mop up means firefighters start at the perimeter of the fire and advance toward the centre in a grid pattern to systematically extinguish hot spots. Tactics include looking and smelling for smoke, digging up hot spots and dousing them with water. Depending on the size of a fire, mop up can take days or weeks.”

DNNR says helicopters will be flying over wildfires in the next week using infrared technology to help detect hotspots.

The fine for burning illegally remains at $25,000.

People are advised to check the Nova Scotia burn-safe map for conditions in their area before lighting any fires.

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Firefighters dowse hotspots in the Shelburne County fire. Photo Communications Nova Scotia

The fire at Barrington Lake in Shelburne is slowly coming under control and efforts are beginning to shift from emergency response to rebuilding a community.

Shelburne County East Emergency Management Office reported Tuesday that the fire is still out of control but is now being held which means it is not moving.

Several measures have been announced to help residents transition back into their homes or to help those whose homes were lost in the fire.

The federal and provincial governments have announced they will each match every dollar donated to the Red Cross so that any dollar donated equals three dollars.

The province of Nova Scotia is providing free well-water testing kits for people returning home and has just announced a one-time grant of $2,500 to registered farmers located in the mandatory evacuation zones in Halifax Regional Municipality and Shelburne County

Life is returning to normal for some students as several schools in the Shelburne and Barrington area are set to reopen Thursday.

Clark’s Harbour Elementary, Evelyn Richardson Memorial School, and the Lockeport Schools will open while Barrington Municipal High School, Forest Ridge Academy, Hillcrest Academy and Shelburne Regional High School will remain closed at least for the rest of this week.

The Shelburne County fire covers 23,411 hectares or 234 square kilometres.

Roughly 130 firefighters from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) and more than 40 volunteer and municipal firefighters are responding.

Restrictions on travel and activities in the woods were lifted across Nova Scotia but remain in Shelburne County and anywhere evacuation orders are in place.

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Donations overflow a trailer headed to support people displaced by the Shelburne County wildfires. Photo Amy MacGowan

Queens County is rallying to help fire-stricken Shelburne communities.

Brooklyn resident Amy MacGowan decided to collect donations of food and clothing to drive to the Shelburne Fire Hall on Tuesday.

Just three hours after making a post on Facebook the community stuffed her Chevy Equinox full of supplies and she was on her way.

MacGowan says the scene at the Shelburne Fire Hall was something to behold.

“I went down, I dropped all that stuff off. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time.”

Volunteers from the community and aid agencies were standing together to provide comfort to residents who have evacuated and don’t know if they have a home to go back to. MacGowan says a free store was set up in back of the hall, Red Cross workers were helping people register for relief aid and a semi-trailer was filled with water and sport drinks to keep firefighters hydrated on the fire line.

MacGowan decided she would make another supply run on Thursday.

With more notice people volunteered to drive and donations filled 12 vehicles and two trailers creating a Queens Cares Convoy. In addition to the supplies, $5,245 was donated in cash and gift cards.

MacGowan says the pantries in Shelburne are well stocked now and she began looking around to see what else was needed. She learned many of the firefighters are looking for supplies to help them stay on the line.

“They need band aids and foot cream and things like that because their feet are killing them. Their muscles are sore. So, at the end of the day, they just want to wrap up, put some stuff on their feet and go to sleep, get up and go do it again the next day,” said MacGowan. “And Vitamin water they said, was another thing that was on their list. Chocolate milk was another thing that was on their list because they’ve got tons of Gatorade and tons of water and they wanted something else to drink.”

MacGowan says some other items that are in demand include propane, flashlights, batteries, towels and toiletries. She plans to make another run down to Shelburne with more supplies next week.

Until then, donations can be dropped off at the Liverpool Fire Hall, Chamber of Commerce office (in the Work Evolved building), Ingrams Construction or Five Girls Bakery.

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