Nova ScotiaFirefighters working on northern area of fire zone to save structures.Blaze in Annapolis County still estimated at 3,210 hectares, or 32 square kilometresAnjuli Patil · CBC News · Posted: Aug 20, 2025 4:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoRebekah Deveau, of the Annapolis Royal Volunteer Fire Department, sprays down a burnt out area around a communications tower at the scene of the Long Lake fire near West Dalhousie, N.S. (Province of Nova Scotia)The out-of-control wildfire in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis County has not grown in size since Tuesday but continues to pose a threat to homes, provincial officials said in an update Wednesday afternoon. The wildfire near the community of West Dalhousie is estimated to be 3,210 hectares, roughly 32 square kilometres.Dave Steeves, a provincial public information officer, said the wildfire is not growing in size because of the determination of firefighters on scene.”There has been an incredible amount of hard work, team work, overcoming adversity. It’s been something to see to be honest with you,” Steeves said.”We will get through this, it’s just not going to be today. But when this is all said and done, they should feel very proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish.”A map shows the current perimeter of the Long Lake wildfire, including where homes have been evacuated, as of Aug 18. The fire has not grown substantially in size since then. (Province of Nova Scotia)Steeves said homes that were at risk on Tuesday faced the same amount of risk on Wednesday. He said protecting structures remains a big priority for fire crews.”They’re continuing to focus on the northern area of the fire to do their best to ensure we can get this area wrapped and reinforce those guards with some good old-fashioned hose work as well,” Steeves said.Steeves said 22 firefighters from Ontario and five from P.E.I. are on scene to help. He said more than 95 Natural Resource staff, 25 volunteer fire department members and heavy machinery operators also worked on the fire on Wednesday. An aerial photo shows the West Dalhousie Community Centre, which is serving as the incident command post for the wildfire. Smoke from the Long Lake fire can be seen in the background. (Province of Nova Scotia)Weather conditions in the Long Lake area were favourable on Wednesday, but the benefits from the nine to 10 millilitres of rain that fell a few days ago are gone as conditions get drier. “The fire weather index remains high to very high and still extreme in several areas of the province. Most of the province is still under high to very high. We don’t anticipate a significant reduction in that, there’s still no significant rain in the immediate forecast that’s going to change that situation,” Scott Tingley, Nova Scotia’s manager of forest protection said.A piece of machinery removes trees and soil to create a ‘dozer break’ aimed at preventing the spread of the Long Lake fire in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis County on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Province of Nova Scotia)Tingley said crews are keeping an eye on Hurricane Erin and its potential impact on fighting wildfires this weekend.”It’s rare. I’ve been doing this over 20 years and this is the first time I’ve encountered this. We’re used to getting rugged weather in this part of the country. I’ve dealt with high winds before,” he said.”One benefit with a system like this is we’ve had quite advanced notice that it’s coming and working with the meteorologist and the growth modellers, we’ve had that advantage of multiple days to prepare. That’s been a huge advantage.”Dustin Enslow, the deputy warden of the County of Annapolis, said in an update Wednesday afternoon he had a meeting earlier in the day where the firefighters are and got a tour.”The firefighters are actually on the scene and fighting the fire with boots on the ground. This is day number three that they’ve been able to do that … with that and the support of all the air control, we’re seeing some major gains on their behalf, so it’s definitely a morale booster,” Enslow said.Enslow said entry to the site is still restricted to the public. He said Nova Scotia Power was cutting some trees while he was on scene and they had a fire truck with them because some of the falling wood was igniting.”They were able to extinguish each one as it happened, but that’s the reason why it’s still an unsafe environment,” Enslow explained. Enslow encouraged residents who have evacuated to register through the Canadian Red Cross, which can be done on the county’s website or at the shelter in Middleton. He said registering allows the county to reach evacuees to communicate with them. ABOUT THE AUTHORAnjuli Patil is a reporter with CBC Nova Scotia’s digital team.
Crews fighting Annapolis Valley wildfire focused on protecting homes at risk
