Risk for 'explosive' forest fires means Nova Scotians must stay out of the woods

Nova Scotia is urging the public to stay out of the woods because the conditions are ripe for a potentially "explosive" forest fire.

The province doesn't have the resources to keep new fires from spreading, says spokesman Walter Fanning.

"We've got conditions now built up in the soil and vegetation that almost make the fires explosive," he said.

"Right now, it's so dry the fire will grow out of control very quickly."

• See which areas are off limits as province faces high forest fire risk

Avoiding evacuations

Dozens of firefighters have been working since Thursday night to contain a growing fire at Seven Mile Lake near Kejimkujik National Park. It's the biggest of eight fires that have been reported since last week.

Fanning said if the crew hadn't attacked the Seven Mile Lake fire the way they did, it would be several thousand hectares in size.

"Once it gets that big, we can't control it," he said.

The decision to restrict people from entering wooded areas to camp, hike or fish was based on calculations weighing how dry conditions are with how much muscle the province has to throw at any new fires, Fanning said.

'A little bit harsh'

Two hikers at the Coxheath Hills Wilderness Trail in Cape Breton were surprised Tuesday by the closed sign at the trailhead.

• Forest fire near Kejimkujik still spreading as exhausted crews work 'so hard'

"The weather doesn't seem to have been that dry and we had rain the other night, the stormy weather, so I was a little bit surprised when I got here," said Erin Mailman.

"I think it is a little bit harsh to have the ban everywhere but I guess they are just being careful instead of having something happen."

3rd time in 30 years trails restricted

The measures taken this week are only the third time the province has restricted access to forests in Fanning's 30-year career. The last time was 2001.

Though people could face $180 fines if conservation offices catch them in the woods, he says the department isn't sending extra staff to patrol the woods.

Fanning says if there's enough rain, the ban could be lifted in some parts of the province before the two-week mark.

Communicating the ban has landed, in part, on the shoulders of volunteers who maintain trail systems.

Volunteers printed, posted signs

After she heard about the ban, Kimberly Berry printed signs and posted them at the Bluff Wilderness Trail's parking lot and trailhead. She chairs the group that maintains the trail near Timberlea,

When she ran into people on the trail, she had to discourage them from continuing their hike.

She hopes people co-operate to help protect their woods and for their own safety. Berry says sometimes hikers smoke on the trails and she's concerned about people unintentionally starting fires.

"Even if you're the most conscientious and low fire-risk hiker in the world, if you were to be out on a trail dozens of kilometres from your exit point and need to get out, that would be a concern for me," she said.

Feeling the impact

Meanwhile, some tour operators say the ban is bad news for them.

"I have people who have booked international flights just to come to Nova Scotia on our tours, some of which are multi-day trips," said Ryan Barry of Great E.A.R.T.H. Expeditions. Those tours include hikes in provincial parks and on Crown land.

He thinks the province jumped the gun when it imposed the ban.

"I don't think people who are hiking are the cause of forest fires. It kind of surprises me that they came up with that so quickly and then shut it down throughout the province."

Exemptions to be considered

Cody Whynott, who owns Whynott Adventure out of Kejimkujik National Park, said he's seen visitation drop "drastically" over the last two days.

"We anticipate it's only going to continue down this road," he said.

But he understands why the ban is in place.

"From a financial standpoint, it is definitely going to hurt this year. I also don't entirely disagree," Whynott said, adding it "wouldn't take much" for another fire to start given the state of the forests.

The Department of Natural Resources says it will consider applications for exemptions from the bans from tour operators, mining and forestry businesses on an individual basis.