Fighting a wildfire could be more difficult now than in 2023, according to the vice-president of the Halifax Professional Firefighters Union.

More than 150 homes were damaged or destroyed by the wildfire that spring in Tantallon and dozens more in Barrington Lake – the largest wildfire our province has ever seen.

Joe Triff tells our newsroom, Nova Scotia called in support from other provinces, but they were lucky then.

“But now you’ve got fires burning in Newfoundland, and all across Canada. Resources are kind of shared and already working,” says Triff.

He says dry forests and low water levels are also a bad combination, and they do not want to be running out of water if a wildfire gets out of control.

The province has a few helicopters but no water bombers.

“A significant fire in these conditions could get out of control very quickly,” he said.

Triff cautioned people to follow the province’s ban on entering the woods, which the Halifax fire union supports.

“It’s disappointing for everyone who uses the woods responsibly and recreationally, but again, it reflects how serious conditions are right now.”

In fact, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), conditions are more extreme this year, than in 2023.

“We’re entering a period now where we’re going to see some of the driest and most severe forest conditions we’ve seen in a long time,” says DNR.