Wildfire Season Extended Provincewide
The ban on open fires in Annapolis County and time-of-day burn restrictions in all other counties are extended to October 31 because of continuing wildfires and elevated risk in the province. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
Due to continued fire activity in Nova Scotia, wildfire season is extended provincewide to October 31.
The full burn ban will remain in effect in Annapolis County and daily burn restrictions will continue to apply in all other counties to the end of the month. The fine for violations is $25,000
“We have never seen wildfire activity so late in the season, so we’re taking this step to help keep our people and our communities safe,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. “The daily burn restrictions are based on science, data and our staff’s expertise and experience. Extending the restrictions to the end of the month means we’ll have a better chance of avoiding more fires.”
Wildfire season – which normally runs from March 15 to October 15 – was extended by a week in 2016 because of drought conditions. It was shortened with a delayed start in 2015 after a winter of heavy snowfall.
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 such as charcoal and gas barbeques and gas stoves, which can be used following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Quick Facts:
- the Province’s BurnSafe map, which lets people know where and when burning is permitted, will remain red for Annapolis County to the end of October, 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
Additional Resources:
Wildfire season extension order: https://novascotia.ca/alerts/docs/fire-season-extension-order-2025-10-01.pdf
Burn ban proclamation: https://novascotia.ca/natr/forestprotection/wildfire/fire-proclamation_2025-09-26.pdf
BurnSafe map and information on fire restrictions: https://novascotia.ca/burnsafe/
Forests Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/forests.pdf
News release – Provincewide Burn Ban Lifted Except in Annapolis County: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/09/26/provincewide-burn-ban-lifted-except-annapolis-county
News release – Provincewide Burn Ban in Effect: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/07/30/provincewide-burn-ban-effect