The largest structure protection operation in Nova Scotia’s history
Posted Sep 4, 2025 05:07:54 PM.
Last Updated Sep 4, 2025 05:16:46 PM.
Officials with the provincial government and firefighters are revealing more details into the battle against a still out of control Annapolis County wildfire.
The blaze is still active, but as time progresses with cooler weather conditions and days getting shorter, officials sound more hopeful that good news could follow. The blaze forced hundreds of people from their homes, leaving in its wake a path of barren, blackened forest and several ruins of structures.
However, even with 20 houses and 11 other buildings lost to the blaze, fire crews from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are now sharing that they thought the casualties would be much higher.
“When I left on the last Sunday — I mean I pulled to a safe location off Morse Road — I didn’t expect anything to be left,” Dave Rockwood, provincial fire and GSAR co-ordinator, with the Department of Emergency Management, said in a press conference.
That Sunday in the fire’s history was Aug. 24 and saw the most extreme behaviour to date. When the wind from Hurricane Erin fanned the flames, and the fire reached dry hardwood on the ground, mixed with heat from the sun, it created the perfect opportunity for the wildfire to grow. It doubled in size in just 12 hours and forced crews to halt operations for a period because it was so hot that not even water was helping.
“We were looking at 200-foot flames peaking over the ridge,” Rockwood said. “Quite frankly, it’s amazing that there are structures still there with the fire behaviour that we’ve seen.”
Officials knew this day was coming. All the factors indicated it would be an incredibly tough day for crews. What worried teams the most was the flames spreading northward towards the homes in West Dalhousie.
In the days ahead, the fire behaviour increased, but firefighters worked diligently to do everything they could to save homes. They put sprinklers around the buildings, helping to increase the moisture in the air and dampen dry grass and wood nearby. They cleared lines of vegetation so the wildfire might move around, and they removed anything from outside the houses that could catch easily and help fuel the blaze more.
“This was the largest structure protection operation ever conducted in Nova Scotia,” Rockwood said. “We had equipment stretched out over approximately 10 kilometres. It’s never been done to this scale in this province.”
Lines of sprinklers stretched through 88 homes, and only three were lost entirely in those sections. Rockwood said that three-quarters of a million gallons of water moved through the small community in the 24-hour period.
Time was a luxury
For almost a week leading up to when fire behaviour was expected to be extreme, officials were figuring out how they would limit damage.
They called in crews from other provinces and devised plans to have some teams hold off the flames in the days leading up, while others worked on the homes.
“While the DNR crews were working to try to contain this blaze and do everything they could and hold it off for as long as they did, it gave a lot of time,” Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection with DNR, said in a Sept. 4 press conference.
This time was a “luxury” allowing those fire breaks and sprinklers to be set up in the most at-risk areas. The provincial authorities were able to coordinate with municipal forces, while meteorologists and experts kept everyone informed on how the weather conditions would impact the flames.
“In order for that to work in any location, people have to try to themselves to have their properties ready for this kind of event,” Rudderham said.
This includes removing flammable items from around their yards and close to their homes.
On that Aug. 24 day, the fire drought indications were “nearly unheard of” across Nova Scotia, Rockwood said, with alarm bells ringing, officials now say they are amazed that so many homes were saved.
A grim feat
Despite being able to say that it could have been much worse, the success of the largest structure protection operation in the province’s history is overshadowed by the loss of homes.
“It’s difficult at times to choke things back,” Rockwood said. “It’s been a lot of emotions for three weeks now. I feel for everybody who has lost.”
There are fundraisers in place from the community to help those impacted, and the government is offering some money to support those who have been evacuated for weeks.
Officials are not giving any clear indications as to when more people will be able to return home, but they are saying the weather has been cooperating. The fire is still active, Rudderham warns, and at times during the day flames can still pop up.
“It’s going to be quite some time before this fire is declared out,” he said.
