Thousands of homes under evacuation order as Halifax-area wildfire burns out of control

Fire that destroyed numerous homes was ‘really fast, really hot,’ says deputy chief

CBC News

A driver captured the flames, heavy smoke and glowing embers on both sides of a road on May 28, 2023, in Hammonds Plains, N.S., amid a wildfire that forced thousands to evacuate their homes near Halifax.

A wildfire that has consumed numerous homes is still burning out of control northwest of Halifax on Monday, with thousands of residences under a mandatory evacuation order.

The evacuations cover areas of Hammonds Plains, Upper Tantallon and Pockwock, suburban communities about 25 kilometres from Halifax that are home to many commuters who work in the city.

David Meldrum, the deputy chief of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, gave an update early Monday about the ‘very large and fast-moving fire’ that sparked a state of emergency in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported just before 1 p.m. Monday that the fire was estimated to cover 788 hectares.

More than 200 firefighters are battling the blaze, including 170 from the Halifax Regional Municipality, 32 from DNR, and seven from the Department of National Defence.

Thirty Halifax fire trucks are on scene, as well as two DNR helicopters and one water bomber that was sent from Newfoundland and Labrador.

More than 10,000 people affected by evacuations

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum said in an update Monday morning no injuries have been reported, but “numerous” buildings have been affected or lost, including in the Westwood subdivision, near Hammonds Plains Road, and Yankeetown Road and northward to Pockwock Road. No one has been reported missing, he said.

On Sunday, the number of buildings consumed by fire was believed to be 10. Meldrum did not have an update on Monday morning, but said the number is likely to rise.

Officials say the fire, which is burning out of control, is about 100 hectares as of Monday morning and is expected to grow.

He said he could not provide a list of street names where houses were damaged, adding that on some streets, one home could have escaped unscathed while another close by could be destroyed.

Meldrum said an inventory will be conducted and people will be informed by the municipality or province as soon as possible if their home was affected.

Meldrum said the wind is now blowing from the north, which will push the fire back toward where it was burning on Sunday. But he said that can still pose a danger.

“That was really fast, really hot fire yesterday. There’s a lot of unburned fuel still in the areas that the fire went through that can reignite and can burn. So we have a lot of work to do today, this week, for many days.”

The fire was first reported on Sunday around 3:30 p.m. in the Westwood Hills subdivision off Hammonds Plains Road. The cause of that fire is under investigation.

Meldrum said the firefighting effort will be prolonged.

“It’s going to take some time. These fires don’t simply extinguish today and you’re done. There’s significant work that’s required to come in and dig any hidden fires out, make sure there’s no smouldering fire that’s going to reignite.”

A map shows the fire evacuation area and the local state of emergency area, as of noon Monday. (Halifax Regional Municipality)

Estimates from Halifax Fire and the city say more than 10,000 people have been affected by the evacuation order. Areas affected by evacuations include:

Westwood subdivision.
White Hills subdivision.
Highland Park subdivision.
Haliburton Hills.
Pockwock Road.
Glen Arbour.
Lucasville Road to Sackville Drive.
Maplewood.
Voyageur Way.
St George Boulevard, including all side streets.
McCabe Lake area.
Indigo Shores.

Long lines of cars were seen leaving Upper Tantallon, N.S., as crews worked to contain a fast-moving wildfire.

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said the fires are devastating.

“It’s a very stressful time for people,” he said. “It’s life-changing for people who have been impacted by this. It’s a very serious fire.”

Savage said Monday he spoke with provincial Emergency Management Office Minister John Lohr, Premier Tim Houston and the federal minister of emergency preparedness, Bill Blair, on Sunday evening.

Smoke blows across a road in the Westwood Hills area outside Halifax on Monday. (Mark Crosby/CBC)

“All efforts are being made to support fighting that fire today,” Savage said.

He added that a priority will be determining what homes have been affected by the fire, and sharing that information with residents.

In the meantime, he said, people need to avoid the affected areas.

“It’s really important … that people not go back onto the scene. The fires can start and restart. We don’t know where it could be affected next, so people have to stay away.”

Comfort centres

The Halifax Regional Municipality declared a local state of emergency Sunday night in order to access additional supports.

Comfort centres have been opened at:

Black Point and Area Community Centre, 8579 St Margarets Bay Rd.
Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre, 1583 Beaver Bank Rd.
Canada Games Centre, 26 Thomas Raddall Dr.

The senior manager for the Canadian Red Cross’s emergency management team, Ancel Langille, said 15 people stayed at the Canada Games Centre evacuation centre on Sunday night. He said he’s already received word that more will be staying there on Monday night.

Evacuees are feeling anxious, Langille said.

“A lot of people aren’t going to know the status of their homes right now, and I know that must be very difficult for people. We’re doing our best to support them and to give them what we can to provide that comfort until they’re able to get official confirmations.”

The rubble of a building is all that remains after a wildfire swept through the Westwood Hills area outside Halifax on Sunday. (Mark Crosby/CBC)

Early school dismissal

On Monday after 10 a.m., the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) said they are sending students at many schools home early as a precaution. A number of schools close to the wildfire zone had already been closed.

The HRCE said buses will arrive early, and elementary school students will be dismissed once families have been contacted. After-school activities and programs, including EXCEL, are cancelled Monday at the affected schools.

Based on the recommendations of Halifax Fire and conversations with the Emergency Management Office, the following schools will be dismissed early on Monday: