Large nighttime debris fire keeps Annapolis Valley firefighters busy
Motorists travelling on Highway 101 report fire
Flames flickering in the night sky caught the attention of motorists travelling along Highway 101 near Avonport Monday night, resulting in Wolfville firefighters being paged to investigate.
Shortly after 9 p.m. on March 1, Chad Schrader, a deputy chief with the Wolfville Fire Department, said firefighters were made aware of a fire burning on a property on Gaspereau River Road.
“It was really large so people could see it from the highway, so it drew a little attention to it,” said Schrader.
Since they were not notified of a planned burn in the area, they attended the scene.
“I think it might have been an old structure at one point, but we would classify it as a debris fire,” said Schrader.
Wolfville and Hantsport fire departments sent pumpers, tankers and firefighters to the scene, and an additional tanker with crew from Greenwich and Port Williams departments were called in to help with water supply.
About 25 to 30 firefighters attended the evening fire.
“It was a large pile, I’d say 150 feet by 50 feet wide and probably eight to nine feet high in places. It was just a heavy fire load,” said Schrader, describing the debris.
“Because it was called in from the highway, and the sheer size of it, we figured it would be best to put it out for the night.”
Schrader said the fire was intentionally set and wasn’t suspicious in nature.
“It was in a farmer’s field, in the back, so it’s always an adventure to get there,” he said.
Although there are currently no burning restrictions in place in the province, Schrader said property owners intending on conducting large, controlled burns should contact the municipality and fire department before doing so in the future.
“It’s always good to check
department, with folks in the fire the county, just to make sure that everything is above board,” he said.
No injuries were reported. Crews were back in service by midnight.
The 2022 wildfire-risk season in Nova Scotia will start March 15. Check novascotia. ca/burnsafe for regulations pertaining to burning brush or having a campfire.