Provincewide Burn Ban Lifted Except in Annapolis County

With conditions improving, the ban on open fires is lifted in all counties except Annapolis as of 8 p.m. today, September 26.

The ban will remain in place in Annapolis County until the end of wildfire season due to the ongoing Long Lake wildfire.

“It’s been a very challenging wildfire season, and I thank all Nova Scotians for co-operating with the prevention measures we put in place,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. “For most of the province, the daily burn restrictions will resume until the end of the season, and it’s still very important that everyone follow them to keep our people and our communities safe.”

The daily burn restrictions – and the continued ban in Annapolis County – apply to open fires such as campfires, bonfires, brush fires, fires in chimeneas and any other fire that is not enclosed and uses wood as the fuel. Unlike gas or charcoal fires, sparks could escape from an open wood fire and cause a wildfire.

The restrictions do not apply to non-wood-burning devices like charcoal and gas barbeques and gas stoves, which can be used following manufacturer’s instructions.

Quick Facts:

• the provincewide ban was put in place through a proclamation under the Forests Act on July 30; the proclamation was revised for Annapolis County today
• the Province’s BurnSafe map, which lets people know where and when burning is permitted, will remain red for Annapolis County while the proclamation is in effect, meaning open fires are not allowed
• for all other counties, the map will be red from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. because burning is never permitted during those hours; the daily restrictions will be posted at 2 p.m. to show what is and is not allowed for the rest of the day
• the usual end of wildfire season is October 15

Additional Resources:

Burn ban proclamation: https://novascotia.ca/natr/forestprotection/wildfire/fire-proclamation_2025-09-26.pdf

Information on fire restrictions and the BurnSafe map: https://novascotia.ca/burnsafe/

Forests Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/forests.pdf

News release – Provincewide Burn Ban in Effect: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/07/30/provincewide-burn-ban-effect