Shelburne County blaze 'rolling like a freight train,' more evacuations ordered Wednesday
CBC
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A newly reported forest fire northeast of the large, out-of-control fire near Barrington, N.S, has led to evacuation notices for residents of Jordan Ferry, Jordan Bay and Lower Sandy Point.
In an emailed statement, provincial spokesperson Marla MacInnis said the province is responding to a new, out-of-control fire near Lake Road in the Municipality of Shelburne that's 20 hectares in size, with the potential to grow.
This comes as the largest forest fire in Nova Scotia's recorded history in Shelburne County continues to grow, with officials confirming Wednesday that dozens of homes have been destroyed and firefighters have spotted flames nearly 100 metres tall.
Evacuation is also recommend for parts of Lake Road, Sandy Point Road, including some smaller side streets and nearby businesses and streets including Shelburne Diesel, Shelburne Ship Repair, Ven-Rez, Bill Harris Transport, Coastal Tails and Adamant Drive.
Editor's note: The exact location of the Jordan Ferry-area fire cannot be shown until it's mapped by fire officials.
The larger fire, which started near Barrington Lake in Shelburne County on Saturday, is still out of control, and has now reached more than 17,000 hectares, according to an update from the Department of Natural Resources. Previously, the department reported the fire at more than 20,000 hectares and said the change in size "reflects more precise measurement."
Dave Rockwood, with the department, said during a news update on Wednesday officials were concerned about the fire, which continues to be "very fast moving."
"We are concerned with the head fire on this," Rockwood told reporters, noting firefighters have seen flames as tall as 60 to 90 metres.
"We start out the day with lower intensity, but by afternoon this thing has been getting up and rolling like a freight train."
He said that so far, about 50 residences have been lost to the fire, though there are no specific locations on the structures that have been destroyed.
More than 2,300 homes have now been evacuated in the Shelburne County area, affecting about 5,000 people, according to RCMP Chief Supt. Sue Black.
Also during the news update, Premier Tim Houston said formal requests to the federal government for assistance have been made, including help from military firefighters and a temporary leave benefit to support people who aren't able to work.
Houston said the fine for breaking the provincial burn ban has been raised to $25,000, up from $237.50 after eight burns were reported overnight.
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