CITYnews halifax: ire prompts evacuation order northeast of Halifax

CITYnews halifax / By Natasha O’Neill and The Canadian Press

An evacuation order has been issued for a rural area northeast of Halifax because of an out-of-control wildfire.

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency has ordered the mandatory evacuation of part of Mooseland Road, stretching south to Highway 7.

A spokesperson for Halifax Regional Municipality says the evacuation order affects an estimated 100 to 150 people.

The fire is estimated to be about three square kilometres in size.

Officials say local and provincial crews have been fighting the fire since Wednesday.

They say firefighting operations are pausing overnight because of safety concerns and will resume at first light on Friday morning.

Related:

• More than a new wildfire a day in N.S. as provincial helicopters take flight

Halifax members arrived Wednesday to find a blaze burning in what firefighters have described as a “remote and difficult-to-access area.”

In an email to CityNews, a DNR spokesperson said that helicopters can safely fly during the day and will ground at dusk.

Teams were able to access parts of the blaze before it got too dark.

“It’s difficult to say definitively at this point when we will get this under control, as the weather this afternoon may pose challenges,” Patricia Jreige, from the Department of Emergency Management, said. “Our crews are working hard to make this happen as soon as possible.”

She noted that there have been more than 100 wildfires this year in Nova Scotia, double the number of incidents at this time last year.

In a message posted online, the provincial body says the fire is estimated to be about seven hectares in size and is out of control.

(Halifax Professional Fire Fighters)

 The province brought on a new fleet of helicopters to help fight fires across Nova Scotia in the last few weeks. The four H125s are “versatile,” the press release notes, and can help with fires, search and rescue, scientific research, and the transport of people and equipment.

The aircraft are on top of the contracted four water bombers the province announced as wildfire season got underway this year. The government said it has contracted four Air Tractor AT-802 water bombers and one Cessna Caravan Bird Dog until the end of September.

“Nova Scotia’s investments in modern wildfire response are already making a real difference,” Jreige said. “Our new helicopters, along with our fleet of contracted fixed-wing water bombers and highly trained crews, are strengthening our ability to respond quickly and protect Nova Scotians and their communities.”