Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley rallying to help those who lost homes to fire

Nova Scotia’s Long Lake wildfire has destroyed 20 homes, with residents like Nick Bezanson reeling from loss but buoyed by community support and aid efforts.

A rural community in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley that has been devastated by the ongoing Long Lake wildfire is rallying to support those who lost their homes to the blaze.

Nick Bezanson is among the 20 households in the area that lost homes to the out-of-control wildfire that continues to burn.

Bezanson says he learned on Tuesday that the home he shares with his wife, three children and three cats was destroyed.

He says in a direct message on social media that he and his family had been bracing for the worst, and they have been overwhelmed by the community’s outpouring of offers of temporary housing and items to replace what they’ve lost.

Richard Roscoe, who lives in Lawrencetown, N.S., about 20 kilometres north of the wildfire, says the tight-knit community is working hard to identify who needs a place to stay and ensure everyone has what they need as the fire rages on.

The blaze that started earlier this month is still about 82 square kilometres in size.

Roscoe says the lingering cloud of smoke from the fire has made breathing very difficult for his asthmatic wife, and says it’s something they’re expecting to have to deal with for weeks to come.