A Nova Scotia fire chief warns the province hasn’t received enough rain this fall to properly saturate the ground before a winter freeze, which could use underground fires to smolder and resurface in the spring.

Fires smoldering beneath the surface in winter are sometimes called “zombie” firesbut experts tend to prefer the more specific and less worrisome terms “wintering” or “persistent” fires.

Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brett Tettanish spoke to CBC’s Information Morning Nova Scotia about the phenomenon and how it’s not something we typically face in Nova Scotia.

The interview has been edited for clarity.

Tell us about underground fires and when they happen.

There was no significant amount of precipitation that actually penetrated the top layer (of the soil), which we call the thin fuel layer. With this, if someone made a campfire or burned brush or any other type of fire capable of developing a significant amount of heat, they might be able to ignite the layer below the surface. Once the fire gets down there, it will spread underground and resurface. It is likely that most fires that break out at this time of year would be extinguished before the 2025 fire season, but it is possible that these fires could overwinter and then re-emerge in the spring when conditions dry out again. .

So can fires continue to burn all winter?

Yes. It’s just smoldering underground. As long as there is fuel and just a tiny bit of air in the soil, it will smolder and potentially resurface in the spring. It is unusual for this to happen in Nova Scotia. Often in western Canada and the western United States, fires overwinter and resurface. That being said, we saw unusual fire conditions here in 2023so that doesn’t mean we couldn’t have that happen here.

Your department recently responded to a fire that broke out quite deep in the ground. Can you tell me about it?

It looked like there was a campfire that may not have been completely extinguished. At this time of year, people don’t really think this fire is going to spread. In this case it appeared to be hot enough to ignite the peat and roots below the surface and the fire burned in some cases three feet deep into the peat layer.

So it grew underground?

Yes, absolutely. As long as there is fuel, it will continue to burn underground unless the ground is well saturated or we light the fire.

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Where was this particular fire?

It was in an area of ​​West Hants called King Lake. Many mountain bikes circulate in the region. It was an ATV driver who discovered the fire and took us back to the fire. There have been numerous fires in the province this fall, which is unusual for this time of year. So we were quite surprised to see how deep into the ground the fire was burning.

How can people protect their homes?

If you are burning wood, it is convenient to stack woodpiles close to your home, but it is best to remove them from the immediate area around your home and move them further away. Make sure your gutters are cleaned. Take a look at the FireSmart program. There is a short online course that homeowners can take to understand what FireSmart is and how they can protect their homes and properties.

How crucial is it that we get good, meaningful rainfall?

If we don’t get significant precipitation, we could face extreme fires during the 2025 season. I don’t want to alarm people, but be prepared and it’s best to look into the FireSmart program and how you can protect your home.