Scouts camp in N.S. loses 2 buildings in suspicious Christmas Day fire

A Scouts camp lost two buildings and had a third badly damaged in a suspicious fire on Christmas Day.

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency crews were called to Camp Nedooae in Middle Musquodoboit, N.S., just after 9:30 p.m. on Friday, said district Chief Kevin Dean.

The gate blocking the property was locked so they had to cut it open before they could get in, he said.

"Two [wooden] buildings were completely destroyed, and one building had significant damage," Dean said.

He said their goals would have been to keep the blaze from spreading, while also trying to save as much of the buildings as possible.

Besides Scouts, the camp has also hosted other events, training sessions and activities held by other organizations. 

Damage is 'far reaching'

Dawn MacNeill said she attended many Girl Guide events and camps there over the years.

"The loss of Camp Nedooae is far reaching," she wrote in a message to CBC News Saturday. "I feel for the volunteers who have put so much into the camp."

According to a Facebook page, Camp Nedooae is a provincial camp with four hectares of open fields and 103 hectares of woods, nature trails and Brown Lake.

Firefighters remained on scene until 4 a.m. Saturday. Dean said they handed the investigation over to the RCMP because the fire's cause appears suspicious.

Scouts Canada told CBC News it is supporting the RCMP in their investigation and the site is being secured. 

The organization expressed thanks to first responders and said it will be evaluating damage in the coming weeks and determining what steps need to be taken.