HALIFAX — New wildfires across Nova Scotia could be ignited in the days ahead after thunderstorms rolled across the province Thursday night and into the morning, a fire official said Friday.

Forest protection director Jim Rudderham said lightning can penetrate deep into the ground.

"The layers right down through the soil are very dry," he told a virtual briefing. "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 .... It might take a while to pop up. "

Rudderham said that’s bad news for a province that was already dealing with 11 wildfires on Friday, including one that has been out of control since Wednesday in Annapolis County.

That fire grew from three to four square kilometres in the past two days, forcing the ev

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