Tantallon fire grows to 950 hectares

Water bombers from N.B. recalled, historic 23,000 hectares taken by wildfires in N.S.

The fire is out of control but is still 50 per cent contained. There are 209 fires in the province now, with four that are out of control and a new record of 23,000 hectares.

Because of the tinderbox conditions on Thursday in Halifax with multiple other fires and flare ups rerouting resources, the wildfire in Tantallon has grown.

“We knew there was going to be some aggressive fire spread with the potential of spotting so we actually did increase our area size and we moved from 837 to 950 hectares,” Dave Steeves, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said at a Friday afternoon briefing.

The fire is out of control but is still 50 per cent contained. There are 209 fires in the province now, with four that are out of control and a new record of 23,000 hectares.

“The fact that we were able to keep it to the level that we did is a result of the absolute heroic efforts by the firefighters on the front lines,” he said. “We were stretched but we were able to hold the line by the fantastic work by the people on the line.”

More than 140 firefighters, five helicopters, a water bomber and heavy equipment making firebreaks are continuing to push back on this wildfire that caught on Sunday.

On Friday afternoon, aircraft were diverted to the Exhibition Park area in Halifax to battle a new fire.

“We just received reports of a fire at Exhibition Park. We have three aircraft en route in hopes to knock this down quickly. We don’t have any information beyond that but we do know … it is confirmed there is a fire and we have resources on it as we speak,” said Steeves at the 5 p.m. briefing on Friday.

But good news on the fire that sprang up in the Hammonds Plains area this week near the Farmers Dairy: Steeves said that fire is now 100 per cent contained and is four hectares in size.

GETTING BACK IN

Several Tantallon-area residents are being allowed back into their homes. In an emergency alert issued at around 4 p.m. on Friday, HRM officials announced that residents living in the Lucasville Road (from Sackville Dr. to Hammonds Plains Road), St. Georges Blvd area and the Stillwater Lake area (south to Pine Tree Cres.) are allowed to return to their homes. Also, residents who live south of Hammonds Plain Road down to St. George Blvd. are able to return.

WELCOME RAIN

There is lots of help on the way from mother nature.

“I’m happy to report we are getting rain and lots of it over the next few days,” said Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Winds were expected to shift and the showers to come in overnight Friday with rain continuing throughout the weekend over most areas.

“It looks like the area that needs the rainfall the most, which is southwestern Nova Scotia and the western half of Nova Scotia, is going to get the most rain between now and Tuesday.”

It’s going to be a huge help to firefighters, said Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection at DNRR.

“It will really help all the resources from the air and on the ground make even more progress than they’ve been able to make in the last week,” he said. “It’s very welcome and it’s going to give us a head start.”

GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Also Friday, Premier Tim Houston announced a one-time grant of $2,500 to small businesses located in the mandatory evacuation zones related to the recent fires in HRM and Shelburne County up to a total of $1.5 million.

The grants are to support business owners handle the unexpected closures. The applications will open on Monday.

BYE, N.B. BOMBERS

Houston expressed his gratitude to the leaders of other provinces who have sent firefighters, aircraft and supplies but noted that waterbombers from New Brunswick have been recalled.

“New Bruswick recalled (aircraft) yes, but I want to remind people, too, that the team has secured air cover, air support coming from Montana,” he said, adding the six aircraft from Montana arrived Friday and are here for as long as they are needed.

Reporters have asked Houston several times about Nova Scotia getting its own fleet.

“We’ll get through this and we’ll do a full assessment of the needs and work with the team to see what’s appropriate,” Houston said on Friday, adding what’s happening now is “completely unprecedented.”

The Department of National Defence has also committed firefighters for the “sustained attack,” Houston said, and a growing list of 140 volunteer firefighters from around the province have signed up to help.

LATEST FROM THE RED CROSS

The Canadian Red Cross reported that just under 7,000 households — or more than 17,000 people — have registered. The Red Cross has distributed the $500 assistance announced by the province earlier this week to 3,400 households so far and they have raised $852,000 so far in donations for their wildfire appeal.