Blaze continues to burn

Province to give $500 to households forced to evacuate

A wildfire near Halifax that spans more than 788 hectares remained out of control on Monday, but officials say its growth has been minimized thanks to firefighters and other frontline workers.

Dave Steeves, technician of forest resources for the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said given the winds, there were concerns throughout the day about the wildfire that started Sunday afternoon in Upper Tantallon.

However, at 5 p.m. on Monday, Steeves said some 170 firefighters from Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency and other volunteer departments from across Nova Scotia, more than 30

DNRR wildland firefighters, two DNRR helicopters and a water bomber from Newfoundland and Labrador have been able to keep the blaze relatively in place.

Steeves was cautious, though, as he spoke as there are still “some areas of concern” and the wildfire is at zero per cent containment.

“It is at zero per cent containment in the traditional sense but our air resources are holding us,” said Steeves.

“That being said, (Tuesday) there will be a change in weather, the wind will drop and then move out of a westsouthwest direction. The fuels in the forest are extremely dry. That’s why this is such a precarious situation.”

The wind-driven fire that crews encountered late Sunday afternoon was what is termed a ‘dirty burn.’

That means the fire leaped and bounded ahead, leaving unburned wood and structures behind that were able to reignite.

Halifax Fire and Emergency Deputy Chief David Meldrum explained that the crews weren’t able to safely get in front of the fire as it rampaged through parched softwood stands of forest.

They instead initially fought the fire from the sides and came up behind it.

“When you’re surrounded and making choices about buildings and trying to decide which building you have the best chance of saving, which buildings perhaps you can’t save or you thought you could save but the fire conditionss were such that you had to pull your people away for their safety, It’s very stressful. It takes a toll,” said Meldrum of the efforts of firefighters throughout Sunday evening and night.

On Monday those crews worked inside the fire zone as flames burst out of the ground, in timber, houses and cars all around them.

“They’re seeing a lot, they’re tired,” said Meldrum.

“Both the professionals and volunteers who would normally be somewhere else. They would be at work, they would be with their families.”

With more dry and windy weather in the forecast for Tuesday, neither Meldrum nor Steeves could offer estimates of what is to come or when people may be able to return to see if their homes are still standing.

They asked for continued patience and said they have the resources they need in place to continue fighting the fire.

Nova Scotia RCMP urged people to remain out of the evacuated area until further notice as some people have been spotted evading roadblocks to retrieve items, check on properties or for other reasons.

FUNDS FOR THOSE EVACUATED

The Nova Scotia government is hoping to help alleviate some financial stress for people who have evacuated their homes due to the Tantallon wildfire, as well as the raging wildfire in the Barrington area.

On Monday afternoon, Premier Tim Houston announced that each household that has evacuated their home following the two recent wildfires will be provided with $500.

“We can only imagine the fear that you’re feeling,” Houston said during a news conference at the province’s Emergency Management Office in Dartmouth.

“The uncertainty that you’re feeling about when you will be able to return to your home, what you might be returning to and we know that the fear must be just completely unimaginable.”

Houston said the province is working with the Canadian Red Cross to make the money available to eligible families as soon as possible. Details on eligibility and how people can register will be available Tuesday.

Nova Scotia will also be covering mileage for volunteer firefighters who have had to travel to another community to fight fires, including wildfires.

“We’ll continue to look for more ways to support Nova Scotians as the days unfold before us, but we know the pressure being felt across the province,” Houston said. “We appreciate the work of everyone out there who is doing everything they can to protect property.

Houston said while it’s still too early to tell how many homes have been lost so far due to a wildfire, he acknowledged the number is at least in the “dozens.”

Halifax Fire deputy chief Dave Meldrum said it will “take some time” to take an inventory of damaged and destroyed buildings in the area, however, he did note there have been no reports of major structures damaged at this time.

Meldrum said there was some good news though: There were no reports of missing persons or injuries in relation to the wildfire.

“Less good news is there are numerous affected structures, some damaged and many destroyed in the Westwood subdivision, also in the vicinity of Hammonds Plains Road, particularly near Yankeetown Road,” Meldrum told reporters near the fire scene in Upper Tantallon.

Halifax Regional Municipality declared a state of emergency late Sunday night, which allows it better access to funds, a higherlevel of intergovernmental co-ordination and to assist in organizing businesses and the evacuation of residents.

As the blaze continued to spread, evacuation orders were expanded from the fire’s origins in Westwood Hills to the Yankeetown (Highland Park) subdivision, Haliburton Hills, Glen Arbour, Pockwock Road, White Hills subdivision, Lucasville Road all the way to Sackville Drive, Maplewood, Voyageur Way including St. George Boulevard and all side streets, Mccabe Lake area and Indigo Shores.

Erica Fleck, director of emergency management for Halifax Regional Municipality, said roughly 16,000 people have been evacuated as a result of the Tantallon wildfire.

All HRM residents who have evacuated are asked to register with 311 as municipal staff will follow up when more information becomes available.

Comfort centres have been set up at the Black Point Community Centre and the Beaver Bank Kinsac Centre at 1583 Beaver Bank Rd. Food and water will be provided at the comfort centres. An evacuation centre has been set up at the Canada Games Centre at 26 Thomas Raddall Dr. to support residents affected by the fires, especially those without insurance or family support.

Flames at times on Sunday were crowning in the trees, Meldrum said, with some trees measuring 12 metres high.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, nightfall caused crews to back out of the forest and concentrate their efforts on extinguishing structures on fire, preventing structures from catching on fire and fighting spot fires.

“Thanks to their work, this fire largely has been held from crossing Hammonds Plains Road to the east and it’s been held from crossing the Pockwock Road to the north,” Meldrum said.

But there’s still a long road ahead.

MANY HANDS AND RESOURCES INVOLVED

As of Monday afternoon, there were many crews on scene, including 170 firefighters from HRM, 32 from DNRR and seven from the Department of National Defence continuing to work on the blaze, as well as crews and trucks from Hantsport, Windsor and Brooklyn volunteer departments.

Meldrum explained there are areas without hydrant protection, where tankers have to be used to supply pumper trucks with water.

A water bomber from Newfoundland and Labrador and two helicopters from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables are also pitching in.

Allister Aalders, Saltwire’s weather specialist, said there really isn’t any relief for firefighters in the forecast.

“What we really need is rain and light winds and there’s little of that in the forecast,” Aalders said.

Wind gusts will continue throughout the week, along with temperatures that will be on the rise as the week progresses, reaching high 20s and low 30s.

POWER SHUT OFF

Nova Scotia Power has temporarily disconnected power for roughly 4,000 customers in HRM areas affected by the wildfires to allow firefighters to work safely. Telecommunication companies also noted some customers may be experiencing “an interruption to their wireless services” in those areas.

Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Jacqueline Foster said once it’s determined the area is safe for power crews to enter, they will complete an assessment of the damage and work “as quickly as possible” to restore power to its customers.

Meldrum said residents should be prepared for several days to come as there is no timeline on when the evacuation order will be lifted. Under the evacuation order, residents are not allowed to return to their homes until authorities say it is safe to do so.

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

He said five-alarm fire, “is the first use of a fifth alarm that many of us can remember in this community.”

MORE HELP COMING

Houston said there is also more help coming in from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the federal government. Nova Scotia has also recalled the 20 Department of Natural Resources and Renewables firefighters who flew out to help battle wildfires near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

The following schools were closed Monday due to the Upper Tantallon fire: Bay View High School, Hammonds Plains Consolidated, Kingswood Elementary, Tantallon Junior Elementary, Tantallon Senior Elementary and Madeline Symonds Middle School, Five Bridges Junior High, St. Margarets Bay Elementary, Sackville Heights Elementary, Sackville Heights Junior High and Charles P. Allen High School.

Halifax West High School, Millwood High School and Bedford Forsyth Education Centres (Bedford campus only) were dismissed early from classes as a “precautionary measure” shortly after 11 a.m. Monday.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and will be under investigation by the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, however, Tingley said there’s a high chance it was caused by a person.

“We haven’t had any reports of lightning in the area, so it’s human activity that’s causing them, but we don’t have any details or information,” he said.

In the meantime, a provincewide ban on open fires has been put in place until further notice. This also applies to fires in provincial parks and private campgrounds.

A special air quality statement stemming from the wildfire smoke remained in effect Monday.