Nova Scotia Wildfires: What You Need to Know About Forest Closures
On August 5, 2025, the Nova Scotia government banned all outdoor recreation activities in forested lands due to extreme wildfire risk. This means the woods are closed to hikers, campers and any other trail users until October 15.
For tour operator Lee Fraser, this news came without warning.
“Initially, this closure was looking like a significant hit to our guided hikes,” said Fraser, who operates Live Life in Tents, a Cape Breton-based adventure tourism company. He was able to secure permits to continue some operations, but that hasn’t stopped the closure from impacting his business.
“No question, it has financial implications on all small businesses like our own,” he said. “Travellers are adjusting or cancelling trips to Cape Breton.”
According to the Nova Scotia government, the blanket ban that bars “hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods” is necessary due to the high risk of wildfires in the province.
“Conditions continue to be extremely dry,” Rudee Gaudet, Communications Advisor with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) told Explore Magazine in a statement. “Until we get a significant amount of rain, we’re at an elevated risk of wildfire.”
Nova Scotia Trails, a provincial advocacy group supporting trail building and access, shared information about the ban the day it came into force, reminding their followers that “trail systems are off limits.”
“We know how deeply people in Nova Scotia value trails, and when closures happen, it can feel like a real loss for communities,” said Executive Director Heather Stilwell. “At the same time, we also understand the need to act quickly when wildfire risk is high.”
The McIntosh Run Watershed Association, which manages a sprawling network of single-track bike and hiking trails southwest of downtown Halifax, had a similar message. In addition to posting about the closure, they worked with the Halifax Regional Municipality to post signs at their trailheads urging people to “stay out of the woods.”
The McIntosh Run trails are part of Halifax’s Green Network Plan, a program started in 2018 to support accessible outdoor spaces in the region. Among the goals of the plan are providing access to outdoor recreation to support both physical and mental health, something that is increasingly challenging with this new ban.
In the face of this, some organizations are making an effort to highlight outdoor recreation activities that are still available. East Coast Outfitters, a kayak rental and guiding service based in Lower Prospect, pointed out that “there’s still plenty of room to enjoy the outdoors—our stunning beaches, coastal paths and open water are still accessible”.
Gaudet and the DNR agreed, explaining that “if the activity does not take place in the woods, nor does it require travel through the woods to access, it is fine.” Camping in established campgrounds is also still permitted, but campfires have been banned since July 30th when Nova Scotia implemented a province-wide burn ban.
However, not everyone is following the order. At least a dozen people have been issued $25,000 fines for violating the ban. Some may have been unintentional, but others, like Jeff Evely, are doing it as an act of protest against what they consider to be government overreach.
Tour operator Lee Fraser has a more nuanced view.
“A lot of people might not agree with the decision,” he said. “You have to really look at the fact that we have limited emergency services available and if they’re deployed to assist in one area of the province, that poses a significant risk to the other parts of the province.”
But this doesn’t mean that Fraser likes the ban. He points out that after a similar order in 2023, the provincial government had two years to craft a different approach.
“One would like to think that a well thought out plan or procedures might be put in place prior to this blanket ban,” he said. “That’s obviously not the case.”
Stilwell and Nova Scotia Trails also mentioned that more strategic trail closures would be worth considering.
“We think there’s an opportunity to explore more targeted approaches moving forward,” she said. “But, safety has to come first, alongside strengthened efforts to tackle climate change”.
According to Gaudet, “nearly all wildfires in Nova Scotia are caused by humans.” In their eyes, this ban is necessary to manage not only the risk from campfires, which have already been banned, but other possible starts. “Smoking, hiking poles/cleats striking a rock and creating a spark, discarded glass and overheating cell phones are all examples of how wildfires can start,” said Gaudet.
Campfire bans and localized closures are widely used across the country, as are restrictions on activities considered to be higher risk. In the past, both Alberta and British Columbia have restricted ATV use in certain areas during periods of high wildfire risk. And, just last week, Newfoundland implemented a specific ATV ban due to wildfire risks in that province. While Nova Scotia is the only jurisdiction to implement an all-encompassing ban on trail-use, New Brunswick also recently barred the public from crown lands due to increased fire risk.
“We can’t speak to other jurisdictions across Canada,” explained Gaudet when asked if the Nova Scotia DNR had considered other options.
“Nova Scotia is the second most densely populated province in the country,” she said. “We are making decisions based on the advice we receive from our experts on the ground who are closely monitoring current conditions and analyzing modelling forecasts.”
That frustrates Lee, who called the blanket ban a “knee jerk reaction.” He thinks that Nova Scotia isn’t doing enough when it comes to forest management and wildfire mitigation. “It seems that they are incapable of developing a plan based on proven science and forest management practices to mitigate future impacts of climate change in our province.”
After a historic fire season in 2023, the Nova Scotia government published what it called an “after action review.” Among the findings was a note that government “plans are outdated, inflexible, and do not adequately address the growing risks and response requirements of wildfires.” The report recommended that the DNR update those plans within six to 12 months.
Even with the ban on outdoor activities, the wildfire situation in Nova Scotia has continued to get worse. A fire that started last week in Annapolis County is considered ‘out of control’, growing to more than 3000 hectares. More than 100 homes have been evacuated and resources have been brought into the province from Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories to help battle the blaze.
Facing this new fire and continued dry conditions, the public is again being urged to follow the government orders and do their part to reduce wildfire risk.
