Published May 03, 2025 • Last updated 24 minutes ago • 2 minute readA Department of Natural Resources and Renewables helicopter releases water over part of the Barrington Lake wildfire that burned in Shelburne County in 2023. The provincial government has made a $25,000 fine for illegal burning a permanent penalty after setting it as a temporary measure in 2023 and last year. – Frankie Crowell/FileThe provincial government has made its significant fine for violating burning restrictions a permanent penalty.The $25,000 fine was first introduced in 2023 in the immediate wake of the large wildfires in Halifax and Shelburne counties as a temporary measure to stop illegal burning during what was a dry and difficult fire season that ended up being the worst ever in the province.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe fine was reintroduced last year, again as a temporary measure, to try to prevent another season like 2023. Despite it being another dry year, the number of hecatres of wildland lost to fire was the lowest on record.Late Friday afternoon, the province announced it is making the fine a permanent penalty.“Nova Scotians saw the devastation of wildfires first-hand in 2023. We imposed the $25,000 fine through temporary means to show we mean business, and it’s working – we had the quietest wildfire season on record last year,” said Natural Resources minister Tory Rushton said in a release.“Now we’ve made that fine permanent in the regulations to keep signaling how serious we are. Wildfire prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and I ask all Nova Scotians to be safe and take care of each other by following the rules.”With the victim fine surcharge and court costs, the total fine is $28,872.50. Previously, the fines ranged from $180 to $237.50.Fire season runs from March 15 to Oct. 15 with Natural Resources posting daily burn restrictions on whether, and when, people can have outdoor fires.Article contentThe BurnSafe map is updated every day at 2 p.m and indicates whether people can burn after 2 p.m., after 7 p.m., or not at all. No burning is permitted before 2 p.m.The regulations also detail where and how people can have fires, and what can be burned. If there is a large pile that is considered an industrial sized-burn, it requires a site inspection by DNR and permission from the department to burn.Additionally, most municipalities have their own burning bylaws. While they generally follow the same time of day regulations as the province, they can can be more strict than the provincial regulations and cover such things as the size of fires, types of material that can be burned, and distances required from buildings, woods and property lines. Where the regulations are more strict, the municipal laws take precedence.The primary restrictions are that only clean wood and brush can be be burned. Leaves, pine needles, paper, cardboard, recyclables and garbage are generally not allowed to be put in fires..Anyone burning must have the means at hand to extinguish a fire if it gets out of control, and must have a responsible adult present when the fire is burning, It must be extinguished fully if no one will be tending to it.Article content
Province makes $25,000 fine for illegal burning a permanent penalty
