CITYnews halifax: Crews removed from Halifax County wildfire due to heavy rain

CITYnews halifax / By Natasha O’Neill

Torrential rain battering the province on Wednesday and Thursday has forced crew members to retreat from the Halifax County wildfire.

The Wednesday morning update from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) notes that the perimeter of the blaze is 1,477 hectares and is being held. It has not grown in the last few days and is expected to shrink further after the rainstorms travel through Nova Scotia.

“To keep crews safe, wildfire suppression work is paused (Wednesday), but staff will continuously monitor the fire,” the message reads.

Helicopters and planes can not be used over the next few days due to the weather conditions.

Mooseland Road has reopened to the public, DNR said.

Related:

• Fixed-wing aircraft on standby for held Halifax County wildfire
• Crews continue to hold a wildfire burning northeast of Halifax
• Crews eyeing incoming storm to douse growing wildfire in Halifax County

Kim Masland, Minister of Emergency Management, said in a statement that modelling predicts anywhere from 40 to 100 milimetres of rain is possible on Wednesday and Thursday.

“I encourage all residents to take this forecast seriously and begin preparing now for the possibility of localized flooding and road disruptions,” she said. “Heavy rainfall can quickly overwhelm drainage systems, cause rivers and streams to rise, and create dangerous conditions on roads.”

Another round of rain is possible Thursday morning with rates of 20 to 40 mm per hour.