HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's largest wildfire destroyed 20 homes in the Annapolis Valley over the weekend as dry winds fanned the flames of the Long Lake fire that continues to burn out of control.
Minister of Emergency Management Kim Masland said 20 homes and at least 11 outbuildings, such as sheds or garages, were destroyed or seriously damaged Sunday.
"My heart breaks for what you're going through. I can't even imagine the stress this devastation has put on you and your family," Masland said during a news briefing Thursday.
The lost homes were on West Dalhousie, Morse and Thorne roads, though not all of the destroyed buildings are primary residences.
The minister said 88 homes in the evacuation area had sprinkler systems in place, and only three of those homes were lost in the blaze.
Scott Tingley with the Department of Natural Resources said on Sunday the wind changed direction and pushed the fire across a road toward the community of West Dalhousie.
"Everything that we didn't want to happen with the weather happened on Sunday," he said during the briefing.
Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection with the Department of Natural Resources, said crews and firefighters are continuing to work against dry weather as they battle the blaze. The fire has not changed in size since Wednesday, and covers more than 82 square kilometres of land.
"Our top priority is, of course, to keep people safe and we're doing everything we can to bring this fire under control," Rudderham said Thursday.
Masland said that 267 households and 528 people have registered as being evacuees with the Red Cross, though that's not the full number of those who have been forced to leave their homes in the area.
Dustin Enslow, the deputy warden with the Municipality of the County of Annapolis, said the community is feeling "devastated" and tired.
"It's definitely hard, and as the days go on it gets worse for people as the anxiety continues, the stress continues," Enslow said in an interview Thursday.
Enslow said the province and municipality are hiring a "navigator" whose job will be to work with families in the region that have been impacted by the wildfire. A job offer has been made, Enslow said, and the person is expected to begin work connecting community members with resources and support this Saturday.
"This person will work with each individual as needed to help point them in the right direction, help them fill out paperwork, help them look for different resources, basically take any type of stress off of these individuals to help them navigate this," the deputy warden said.
Meanwhile, a large wildfire that has destroyed homes and structures in eastern Newfoundland is now classified as being held.
The province’s fire dashboard says fire crews have taken sufficient action to prevent the Conception Bay North wildfire from spreading any further, based on forecasted conditions.
The fire has destroyed nearly 200 homes and structures along a 15-kilometre stretch of highway along the northwest shore of Conception Bay. The fire ignited on Aug. 3 and forced more than 2,000 people from their homes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2025.
Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press
