A piece of Nova Scotia’s wartime history has been spared from destruction, after wildfire crews acted swiftly to protect it.

The memorial site, located near West Dalhousie, marks the crash of a Royal Air Force training aircraft, and two service members died in the 1944 crash.

The site includes a cross, a plaque bearing their names, and remnants of the aircraft that remain at the scene.

Photos released by the Department of Natural Resources show the memorial was not damaged by the Long Lake wildfire complex, which burned through the surrounding area.

Dave Steeves, operations lead with the department, said a division supervisor who is from the region recognized the site’s significance and made efforts to protect it while carrying out his duties.

“He knew about this, and while he didn’t go out of his way from his duties, he did his very best to ensure the safety of the memorial while he was down there,” Steeves said.

He added that favourable wind conditions also helped prevent the fire from reaching the site.

“It’s kind of a nice story within an incident that’s been tough on a lot of people,” Steeves said.

The site remains intact after crews made a point of protecting it during their wildfire response.