HALIFAX — A small wildfire burning out of control on the western outskirts of Halifax was caused by human activity, Nova Scotia's manager of forest protection said Wednesday.

Scott Tingley with the provincial Natural Resources Department told reporters that an open fire pit was found at the scene of the fire near Susies Lake, which is about 10 kilometres west of downtown Halifax.

"There was nobody in the area when crews arrived on the scene, that makes it impossible to hold the person or people responsible to account," Tingley said at a news briefing. "That's frustrating to everyone."

Open fires are banned across Nova Scotia and violations comes with a $25,000 fine. The province has also banned hiking, fishing and using vehicles in the woods, as well as any camping outside of designated

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