Nova ScotiaAs the Long Lake wildfire continues to burn out of control, with many displaced from their homes, people in the Annapolis Valley have come together to support evacuees and firefighters.Volunteers served up dozens of turkey dinners on Tuesday for people displaced from their homesAndrew Lam · CBC News · Posted: Aug 30, 2025 11:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoOn Tuesday, volunteers in Clarence, N.S., cooked a turkey dinner for evacuees affected by the Long Lake wildfire. (Ian Partridge)People in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley continue to come together to support evacuees and firefighters trying to tame the out-of-control Long Lake wildfire.In one of many examples, dozens of volunteers in Clarence, N.S., cooked a turkey dinner on Tuesday for people displaced from their homes by the fire, which has been burning in the West Dalhousie, N.S., area since Aug. 13.”I am a huge proponent of community,” said organizer Maureen MacInnis, whose own home is only about 11 kilometres from the wildfire.”I believe that if we all just work really hard to make life good for those around us … the world becomes a much better place.”MacInnis said there was a “rapid response” from volunteers when the call went out for help and they served 100 to 120 meals to a steady stream of people who came by. The Long Lake wildfire in Annapolis County has displaced more than 1,000 people from their homes. On Thursday, the province confirmed 20 homes have been destroyed. ACDirt Excavation and Construction, a Kentville-area company, has offered its services to people who need help with tasks requiring heavy equipment, such as clearing underbrush and trees from around homes near the evacuation zone to get rid of potential fuel for the fire. “We don’t want any money,” said company owner Aaron Cameron. “We’re just trying to help out.” After water-bombing efforts in the West Dalhousie area, a Northwest Territories Forest Management team lands for fuel, repairs and rest for the night at CFB Greenwood on Aug. 16. (Cpl. Lyndsay Brolly/Canadian Armed Forces Photo)Meanwhile, CFB Greenwood has been providing space for firefighting aircraft to land and refuel, and giving crews a place to live and eat. “They’ve been treated pretty much like they’re just any one of us that’s normally here posted at the base,” said Lt. Jeremy Zinck, who has acted as a liaison for crews stationed temporarily at the Canadian Forces base.Crews from the Northwest Territories and Manitoba have been “blown away” by East Coast hospitality, Zinck said, describing the support they’ve experienced from surrounding communities as “overwhelming.”When a crew was recently grounded for a day due to weather conditions, Zinck said they were able to go out and buy fish for a lobster boil. He said the fishermen the crew bought from donated about nine kilograms of scallops for free.Zinck said people in the community have asked how they can help.”Even our own kitchen … [asked] about donating extra food,” he said. “The main issue [we’re] running into is just running out of space for it all.”People are keen to feed these crews faster than they can eat.” A sign erected on Morse Road displays the flags of each province that has contributed to the firefighting efforts. (Province of Nova Scotia)ABOUT THE AUTHORAndrew Lam (they/she) is a Chinese-Canadian and trans reporter for CBC Nova Scotia. They are interested in 2SLGBTQIA+, labour and data-driven stories. Andrew also has a professional background in data analytics and visualization.With files from CBC’s Information Morning, Brittany Wentzell and Holly Conners
‘We’re just trying to help out’: Annapolis Valley opens arms to wildfire evacuees, fire crews
