Credit: NS Lands and Forestry/Twitter
Crews were on the scene of several wildfires across Nova Scotia on Saturday, as Environment Canada warned residents in the western part of the province that air pollution could be heavier than usual due to smoke from the blazes.
The Lands and Forestry department said in an email Saturday afternoon that an ongoing wildfire in Argyle, a municipality in Yarmouth County, was 50 per cent contained.
A portion of Highway 103 near the 15-hectare fire was closed due to the smoke, department spokesman Brian Taylor said.
A department helicopter and 21 staff, as well as one volunteer fire department member, were on the scene of that blaze.
Seven other wildfires also burned in Queen, Cumberland, Lunenburg and Annapolis counties throughout the day, some of which were 100 per cent contained.
A fire in the Saturday Lake area of Lunenburg county was 10 per cent contained by Saturday afternoon, the department said.
A Lands and Forestry helicopter and 10 department staff members were deployed, and two air tankers from Fredericton, N.B., also dropped water on the fire.
© The Canadian Press