Wildfire evacuation orders lifted in Shelburne County; Highway 103 reopens
Defence Department team will help crews dose hotspots over weekend
All residents who were forced to leave their homes during a historic wildfire in southwest Nova Scotia were allowed to return home Friday.
The Municipality of the District of Shelburne and the Municipality of the District of Barrington lifted evacuation orders in two phases, allowing residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed re-enter first so they could visit their properties.
All roads were open to the public at 12 p.m. AT.
"The municipalities request that if you do not have to be in the area out of necessity over the next few days to stay out of the area," an email said.
"This will allow property owners and work crews to access the area, return home and continue firefighting and restoration efforts in a safe and efficient manner."
The municipalities said power was still out in some areas, but was expected to be restored at some point on Friday.
Officials noted that Geddes Bridge, near Port Clyde Road, was destroyed during the wildfire. A temporary bridge is being installed, but it's not yet known when it will open.
Access to Port Clyde Road north of the bridge is available at Exit 28 on Highway 103, while access to Port Clyde Road south of the bridge is available through Shore or Port Latour roads.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia's Public Works Department announced that Highway 103 reopened to all traffic between exits 27 and 30 on Thursday evening.
While the highway is open 24 hours a day, the department warned it could close at any time without notice to ensure public safety.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, the wildfire near Barrington Lake was roughly 23,525 hectares — about 235 square kilometres — on Friday and was "being held," which means the fire is not moving, but still not under control.
The department warned the size of the fire could fluctuate in the coming days as firefighters reach more remote areas on foot and get precise GPS measurements.
Department spokesperson Dave Rockwood said Friday he thinks firefighters are "getting close" to bringing the fire under control.
"Our crews are covering the ground really well and we don't have any great concern for the public at this point, but that's why we're here right until the bitter end to make sure there is no chance of this fire getting back up and going," Rockwood said in an interview Friday morning.
"Our crews are just pounding the ground. The incident management team, we're feeling very comfortable about this. It's just we're in such a large area, we need to make sure that we're not missing anything."
Rockwood said 20 members of the national Defence Department will be helping crews deal with hot spots over the weekend.
"We mentioned the words 'seek and destroy hotspots' to them and they got very excited," said Rockwood.
He noted team members from across Canada have been helping battle the blaze over the last few weeks, and some of those people will be headed home to their families.
