Drought conditions have beset Atlantic Canada with wildfires raging in some locales, with no relief in coming days, according to
. The conditions are increasing the wildfire risk.
Three significant wildfires are already raging in Newfoundland and Labrador
where fines for violators of the province-wide fire ban were increased Friday afternoon f
rom $50,000 to $150,000, as well as up to a year in prison. (A first offence previously meant a $75 fine. Now it’s $50,000 for a first offence and payment defaulters risk imprisonment of six months.)
“It’s very clear that these penalties for violating the regulations needed to be higher, and everyone needs to take this seriously,” Premier John Hogan told CBC News. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Coast Guard are being deployed to help fight the fires.
New Brunswick also has a burn ban in place, while dry conditions have prompted the provincial government to restrict forestry industry activity
.
Prince Edward Island is the latest province to impose a
. Fires for warmth or cooking are permitted by burn permits have been revoked for the immediate future. Parks Canada has fines
for breaching burn bans in national parks on Prince Edward Island. The parks are popular among beachgoers at Cavendish and Stanhope.
Campfires are only permitted in designated fire pits or boxes provided by Parks Canada.
Otherwise, fires are not allowed, including on beaches or rocky surfaces.
The
, on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, has expressed disbelief over violators who claim they didn’t know about that province’s
, amid the
dry forest conditions. Meanwhile, he says, the ban won’t “last forever” and asks for understanding.
The penalty for violators of a Nova Scotia burn ban was increased to $25,000 back in 2023, when
devastated parts of the province,
over 300 homes and 60 other structures.
How has Nova Scotia prohibited activity in the province’s forests?
Nova Scotia has taken the most stringent measures of any of the Atlantic Provinces in clamping down
on personal and commercial activity in Nova Scotia’s forests
. Hiking, camping, fishing and the use of vehicles in the woods is not permitted. Trail systems through woods are off limits and camping is allowed only in campgrounds.
People involved in commercial activity such as
must apply for a permit at their local Department of Natural Resources office.
The prohibitions could last into the fall, as the province says March 15 to October 15 is when the risk is heightened.
While the restrictions are in place, people are permitted access to beaches and parks, but not the trail systems. And landowners can use their own properties but they cannot host others to use wooded areas of their properties. The province has had to respond to some confusion about the measures.
Travel, Activities in Woods Restricted to Prevent Wildfires https://t.co/d7WQlKknWQ pic.twitter.com/HV0EYLkzVa
— Nova Scotia Gov. (@nsgov) August 5, 2025
Has there been pushback against the province?
There has been
that the ban on activity in Nova Scotia’s forests is disproportionate to the wildfire risk. One source is the
Canadian Constitution Foundation
, which has sent a letter to the Premier Tim Houston.
The
Canadian Civil Liberties Association
has also suggested the new regulations are
.
Nature lovers should be FREE to responsibly enjoy our forests. Nova Scotia must END the unreasonable, provincewide ban on entering the woods and replace it with targeted measures that RESPECT our constitutional rights.
Sign our petition here: https://t.co/rEpWYdjLUP
— Christine Van Geyn (@cvangeyn) August 7, 2025
Have violators been penalized?
Nova Scotia has issued 10 tickets this year to people allegedly violating burn restrictions. Nova Scotia RCMP said its officers issued three tickets in May, June and July.
Last year,
were handed out by Natural Resources and RCMP.
N.S. is also asking residents to
report wildfires or violations
of the fire restrictions by calling a government number.
Have there been previous bans?
This is not the first time travel and activity in the woods have been banned. They were
in 2023, 2016 and 2001.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
