Helicopter Crashes Amid Efforts to Contain Nova Scotia Wildfires

A large billow of smoke from a wildfire near the Susies Lake Area of Halifax is seen, on Aug. 12, 2025. The Canadian Press/Kelly Clark

A helicopter crashed on the afternoon of Aug. 15 while battling to contain wildfires in Long Lake, Nova Scotia.

According to a statement from Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), one of its helicopters went down in shallow water while helping to contain wildfires that are burning on the north shore of Long Lake, which have already led to the evacuation of 107 homes.

“The pilot was conscious and talking with firefighters who quickly reached the aircraft. By 6 p.m. he was rescued from his aircraft and taken for medical assessment,” DNR said, noting that Transport Canada will be investigating the incident with full DNR cooperation.

DNR added that the pilot’s name is not being released for reasons of privacy.

On Aug. 14, DNR spokesman Dave Steeves said the province’s efforts to use helicopters to help put out forest fires is highly effective.

“I’ve been a professional firefighter for over 20 years now and the helicopter resources that we have are extremely effective,” Steeves said, adding, “We have a group of very talented pilots.”

The wildfire near Long Lake in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis County started Aug. 13, reportedly caused by lightning. By Aug. 15, it had reached more than 400 hectares in size, with helicopters and DNR firefighting ground crews battling the blaze. Crews also continue to fight smaller forest fires at Hoyt Lake and Durland Lake Brook. The province is currently battling 11 wildfires in total.

DNR has set up emergency shelter at the Annapolis Valley Campus of Nova Scotia Community College to house evacuees.

Photos released Aug. 15 by DNR show crews battling fires around Long Lake and the smaller forested areas, including bulldozers working to clear land to prevent fires from spreading and local firefighters working to put out hot spots in smoldering remains of burning woodland areas.

Nova Scotia fire protection director Jim Rudderham warned Aug. 15 that thunderstorms and lightning, which occurred the night of Aug. 14, will likely spark more wildfires in the province in the days to come as lightning can go deep into dry soil.

“Lightning has a lot of power. It could drive into the ground and take some time to work its way back out again with fire,” Rudderham said. “It might take a while to pop up.”

Rudderham said that on Thursday, provincial officials asked for help from water bombers in another province, but those aircraft could not make it to Nova Scotia because of the long line of thunderstorms. The availability of water bombers has been stretched thin because of the ongoing wildfires across Atlantic Canada, he added.

Nova Scotia has experienced particularly dry conditions in recent weeks, with no major rainfall predicted until Aug. 17 for Annapolis County.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.