Permits Required During Fire Season

Prevention is the best way to ensure that the number and size of forest fires are kept to a minimum this year.

April is the beginning of fire season in Nova Scotia, which means a burning permit is required to start a fire within 305 metres of the woods.

Effective immediately, burning permits are needed in Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby, Annapolis, Kings and Lunenburg counties. Permits are required in the rest of the province beginning April 15 and will be necessary until Oct. 15.

"Last year was a difficult fire season because of the extremely hot and dry weather conditions," said Natural Resources Minister Ernest Fage. "A ban on fires and closing the woods to travel were necessary precautions the department had to take to ensure that our forests were protected. We also extended the fire season an extra two weeks because of the dry fall conditions."

Domestic burning permits cost $5 while industrial permits cost $50. These fees are the same as last year's. Permits can be obtained from local Natural Resources offices and at some municipal fire departments.

In 2001, 486 fires burned more than 500 hectares of woodlands.