Nova Scotians can return to the woods in parts of the province.

"I hope this offers a little bit of bright news to to some Nova Scotians as they head into the the long weekend for many people," Premier Tim Houston told reporters at a news conference on Friday.

Houston said Friday that a provincewide ban would end for some areas at 4 p.m., but the ban remains for several counties.

Houston said the decision to partially lift the ban in some areas came from Department of Natural Resources data. He said the recent rainfall also helped.

"The professionals have determined that for some areas of the province, the [fire] index is no longer extreme and no longer expected to reach extreme numbers again and anytime in the near future," Houston said.

"In other areas it's still extreme, but in som

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