UPD: Homes lost from Annapolis County wildfire, ‘crushing’, blaze over 8K hectares

A number of homes have been damaged, and some lost from the devastating Long Lake wildfire in the Annapolis County that continues to burn out of control.

In an update Monday evening, the Department of Natural Resources says it is now at 8,026 and has advanced along both sides of Paradise Lake.

DNR says the rain is welcome, but not enough to make any real difference and only bought enough time for crews to make some progress.

In a press conference Monday afternoon, Premier Tim Houston said the blaze took a turn, over the weekend, and there are now 330 homes that have been evacuated.

“This is a crushing feeling,” said Houston. “We cannot imagine what it must feel like, along with the added anxiety of not knowing what’s happening in your own home. It’s an awful time.”

He said they can’t confirm the number of homes lost just yet out of respect for the families.

There were a handful of other fires that popped up Sunday, but the Long Lake fire remains by far the largest.

Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection said despite their best efforts to plan, hot and windy weather conditions made the fire untouchable.

“It was just too much. The fire behavior at peak burn time was just too much for any amount of resources,” said Rudderham. “That fire stood up and ran away.”

Department of Emergency Management staff stand on top of their communications truck to view the wildfires in Annapolis County on Sunday, August 24. (Province of Nova Scotia)

Financial help

Support is available for those displaced from their primary residence, based on the number of days evacuated:
– four to seven days – $500 per adult (18 and older), $200 per minor
– eight to 14 days – an additional $500 per adult (18 and older), an additional $200 per minor
– 15 or more days – an additional $250 per week per adult (18 and older), an addition $200 per minor.

Funding will be available until the evacuation order is lifted or at the end of wildfire season on October 15, whichever comes first.

The maximum amount of support is $3,000 per adult and $1,750 per minor. People who had to leave secondary homes such as cottages and camps do not qualify for funding.

“You’re going through something that is completely unimaginable. Most people’s worst nightmare. I know you’re scared and there’s so much uncertainty because right now you don’t know when you can go home, and you don’t know what will be there in that confusion. You may not know where to stay,” said Houston. “You don’t have access to the kitchen; you don’t have access to just your everyday life. We as Nova Scotian’s we feel that. We see it and we want to do what we can to try and support you and certainly ease a small portion of the financial stress that comes with the urgency of the situation.”