Province bans campfires in campgrounds, provincial parks this weekend
Ban goes into effect Friday at 2 p.m. and ends Monday at 2 p.m.
Outdoor enthusiasts hoping to spend the weekend by the campfire are advised to leave the matches at home.
Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources issued a ministerial proclamation Friday morning banning all campfires at provincial parks and private campgrounds this weekend.
The ban goes into effect at 2 p.m. today and will be in place until Monday at 2 p.m.
Natural Resources Minister Lloyd Hines cited the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alta., and the recent fire in the Halifax area near Bayers Lake as reasons why the province needs to be extra cautious during wildfire season.
"We got a little warning there last week at Bayers Lake that if it wasn't for the great response from our fire control people, with the helicopters and the great work that was done by the HRM fire department ... we would have been in major trouble," he said.
'Err on the side of caution'
Hines said he understands the importance of campfires for visitors at Nova Scotia's parks and campgrounds.
"If we have to err, we're going to err on the side of caution and public safety," he said.
It's forecasted to be an extremely dry weekend, said Hines. He said he is asking campers for a "bit of indulgence here," and notes they will still be able to use barbecues and portable gas stoves.
Throughout the summer, Hines said the province will assess whether provincial and private parks will be included in the burn ban, depending on the conditions.
Fire conditions in Nova Scotia are monitored by a network of 34 remote sensors located throughout the province. These remote sensing stations measure relative humidity, temperature and wind conditions, then relay that information to the fire control centre in Shubenacadie.