Nova Scotia has barred the public from entering forests, trails and back-country roads after weeks without rain left the province “a tinder box,” Premier Tim Houston said. The order, in force since 5 August and slated to run until 15 October, prohibits hiking, camping, fishing and the use of off-road vehicles; violators face fines of up to C$25,000. Provincial officials say 12 tickets have already been issued, including a C$28,872.50 penalty levied against military veteran Jeffrey Evely, who has vowed to contest the charge. Neighbouring New Brunswick imposed a similar prohibition on 10 August, setting fines between C$500 and C$10,000. Premier Susan Holt framed the measure as a way to keep rescue resources available, while acknowledging public frustration. Farther east, Newfoundland and Labrador rejected an outright woods ban but increased penalties for breaking existing fire restrictions to as much as C$150,000, citing enforcement challenges for residents who rely on forest access. The access curbs come amid Canada’s second-worst wildfire season on record. As of 13 August, 7.5 million hectares had burned and 721 fires were active nationwide, 161 of them out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Smoke has repeatedly drifted into the United States and Europe. In Nova Scotia, a human-caused blaze in Halifax’s Bayers Lake area has scorched roughly 25–30 hectares and remained uncontrolled on Wednesday, prompting evacuations of nearby businesses and the deployment of New Brunswick water bombers. On the opposite coast, British Columbia’s Mount Underwood fire continued to threaten Port Alberni, where nearly 20,000 people were told to be ready to leave. In Newfoundland, a rapidly growing fire near Paddy’s Pond forced authorities to warn 13,000 residents south of St. John’s to prepare for evacuation. Civil-liberties groups including the Canadian Constitution Foundation and the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms argue the blanket forest bans are overly broad and infringe mobility rights. Houston has defended the restrictions as temporary and necessary, saying they will be eased once sustained rainfall reduces the wildfire threat.