Porters Lake brush fire was spreading to woods when crews arrived: assistant chief
Fire was reported along Highway 107 Thursday afternoon but was quickly contained
Firefighters who were called to a brush fire Thursday afternoon near Porters Lake, N.S., were able to bring the blaze quickly under control.
Someone called 911 at 1:30 p.m. AT to report flames in the woods near Exit 20 along Highway 107.
Halifax Fire Assistant Chief Jim Stymiest said when crews arrived, they found two burning piles of brush — each three metres by three metres.
"It was starting to spread into the nearby woods," he said. "Halifax crews deployed lines very rapidly to prevent any spread. The fire was contained and is now deemed out."
Stymiest said it looks like someone had cut some brush in the area recently and stacked it in two piles. He doesn't know what sparked the flames, but said RCMP were on scene and are investigating.
"We always look to see what the cause was but that's hard," said Stymiest. "If no one's around and there's no eyewitnesses, sometimes it's pretty tough."
Four tankers and two engines responded to the fire. By 3 p.m., crews were being sent home from the scene. A few stuck around to keep an eye on any possible hot spots.
Burning was not permitted Thursday in mainland Nova Scotia, including domestic brush burning and campfires. The fine for violating daily burn restrictions is $25,000.
