Wildfire near Weymouth is 65% contained, province says

Crews at a forest firesoutheast of Weymouth, N.S., will remain on the scene until dark and resume fighting the fire Thursday morning, according to a statement from theDepartment of Natural Resources and RenewablesWednesday evening.

The fire extends over an area of roughly 111 hectares, which is "a significant fire," according to department spokesperson Scott Tingley.It is being"held" in position with 65 per cent of the fire contained, meaning itis not expanding, but is not under control.

As of Wednesday evening, 31department staff, 22volunteer fire department firefighters and one helicopter were working in the area.

On Tuesday,Tingley saidthe fire was spread over an area of roughly80 hectares, but emphasized that the flames were"patchy" and that the entire area was not on fire.

The reported increase in the size of the affected area, from 80 hectares to 111, doesnot mean the fire spread, but rather that crews were able to walk the perimeter and better assess the size, the department said.

Paul Schnurr, the wildland fire training officer with the Department of Natural Resources, says crews are patrolling the perimeter of the fire to make sure it doesn't escape the current boundaries.

"We really need to make sure that we extinguish everything alongthe fire edge so they're really giving it a good soaking and driving water into the ground and tearing up places where embers and stuff might hide, like rotten logs," he said.

Crews will then work their way from the perimeter inward toward the centre to extinguish any hotspots.

There have not been any reports of damage from the fire, Tingleysaid, but some homes have been affected by blowingsmoke. The fire is about half a kilometre to one kilometre from the nearestbuilding.

Schnurr said crews are concentrating their efforts along the edge closest to Highway 340.

Fire continues to burn in forest areas in southwestern Nova Scotia

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A helicopter makes return trips to retrieve water as part of a collective effort by firefighting teams in the area.

Tingley said because of dry weather, fire departments are seeing an above-averagenumber of fires at this point in the season.

"You know, it's an indication ofan early start andwe'll certainly need somepatterns of rain to kind of moderate it," he said.

Some residents 'a little anxious'

Several homes voluntarily evacuated on Monday, but no official evacuation orders have been issued.

Wanda Mullen, who liveson Highway 340 inHassett, said a fire truck was parked onher property onMonday evening and she watched as crews hoseddowntreesto try and keep the perimeter damp and cool.

She said the crewwas gone by Tuesday morning, but a firefighter returned in the afternoonto let her and her husband know the fire had reached the property next door.

"I'm a little anxious, for sure,"said Mullen, who has lived in the area for 36 years. "We can see a lot more smoke and the smell of smoke is very strong in the area."

The Havelock Wesleyan Church was being used as a comfort centre andcommand centre for the operation.

Christy Allen Mullen has lived in Hassett for 25 years and said the community is extremely tight-knit a place where "everybody talks to everybody."

She said residents have been coming together to help any way they can. She described seeing piles of bottled water and food at thelocal church.

"Even my mother-in-law was baking yesterday afternoon and taking food over to the firefighters and the crews that were on hand," said Mullen in an interview Tuesday morning.

Tingley said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it was likely human activity. There wereno reports of lightning in the area.

"We certainly encourage everybody out there who is burning brush around their yard or having a recreational campfire ...conditions can change quickly," said Tingley.

"We just encourage everybody to check the burn restrictions before they light and even when they do, exercise caution and know they're always responsible for the fire."