More evacuations ordered as crews fight growing Annapolis County wildfire

“This is the day we’ve been planning for but hoping wouldn’t come true,” Scott Tingley, Manager of Forest Protection, told media outlets on Sunday afternoon.

While the Long Lake wildfire is still labelled as 3,255 hectares in size, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said growth is expected this afternoon and overnight.

“Everything in fire behaviour that you don’t want is happening today,” Jim Rudderham, Director of Fleet and Forest Protection, said.

Across Annapolis County, it is hot and windy and dry, the perfect storm to cultivate stronger wildfire behaviour.

Winds from the south and southeast are now pushing the fire up closer to West Dalhousie Road. Tingley said the edge of the fire is approximately one kilometre from the road, where the nearest area of concern is approximately three kilometres away.

On Sunday night, the evacuation area was expanded to include Highway 10 and all surrounding streets in New Albany, as well as Trout, Zwicker, and East Lakes, and Old Liverpool Road, Che-Boag-A-Nish Road, and West Dalhousie Road in Albany Cross. Evacuations were also expanded along Morse and Thorne roads.

“This has been a long fight for everybody in DNR and DEM, and a lot of other agencies with this fire. But I would like to say as well that my heart goes out to the residents who have been evacuated,” Tingley said, expressing his sympathies. “I can’t imagine all this time out of our homes and not knowing what’s going to take place.”

The DNR command post has also been moved from West Dalhousie Road into the Bridgetown area. The DNR says its top priority is keeping people safe, and that includes responding crews.

Rain needed

Some rain is expected on Monday, which could help aid in firefighting efforts, but the amount forecasted will do little to the overall fight.

Environment Canada is forecasting 10 mm of rain for Annapolis County Aug.25, but Rudderham says if more rain occurs in other areas of the province, that could help halt the formation of new fires.

“We’ll take any rain we can get,” he said, while noting that several days of consistent rain are needed to help extinguish the Long Lake fire.

Overnight across the province, one additional fire was put out while two fires were deemed to be new wildfires. That brings the total number of active wildfires across the province to five. Four of those are under control.