Out of Control Wildfire Northwest of Halifax Nova Scotia has Caused the Evacuation of Thousands of Residents

The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) reported on Monday (5-29-23), that a wildfire is still burning out of control northwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and thousands of residents are under a mandatory evacuation order. Temporary shelters have been established for evacuees outside of the fire’s perimeter.

The evacuation covers areas of Hammonds Plains, Upper Tantallon, and Pockwock, all suburban communities approximately 25 kilometers northwest of Halifax, that are home to many commuters who work in the city.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) reported just after 3:00 PM (local time) that the fire was still estimated to cover 788 hectares (1,948 acres). David Meldrum, the Deputy Chief of the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service said earlier on Monday that the wildfire is a ‘very large and fast-moving’ fire that sparked a state of emergency in the Halifax Regional Municipality. According to Meldrum more than 200 firefighters are battling the blaze, including 170 from the Halifax Regional Municipality, 32 from the DNRR, and seven from the Department of National Defense.