Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston did not mince words in his Tuesday afternoon update on the province’s efforts to quell a pair of wildfires in Upper Tantallon and Shelburne County.
“Travel and activity in our woods is banned,” Houston said, speaking from Shelburne, where an out-of-control 11,510-hectare blaze has prompted the evacuation of more than 1,000 homes.
As of 4pm on May 30, all activity—walking, backcountry camping and fishing to logging and mining—in Nova Scotia’s forests is on hold until firefighters are able to douse the remaining blazes in what has been a hot and unrelenting end to the month. More than 16,400 Haligonians are still waiting to return to their homes as the municipality continues to fight a fire that started Sunday in Tantallon’s Westwood subdivision, and has spread as far as Pockwock and Hammonds Plains. The fire has destroyed an estimated 151 homes, according to fire officials’ estimates.
“We’re in a very serious situation in this province, and we need to take the steps that we can to protect Nova Scotians,” Houston added. The premier also mentioned that commercial activity on Crown land is on hold and requires special permits, available through the DNR.
Per the new provincial rules (which, admittedly, are somewhat lacking in clarity), camping is still allowed in campgrounds, but backcountry camping is not. Municipal and provincial parks are still open for access, but trails within them are off-limits. Private landowners can continue to use their own forested properties, but are barred from hosting others in their woods. Forestry work on Crown land can only take place between 8pm and 10am. The restrictions apply until June 25, 2023 or until forest conditions improve.
In the same news conference, Nova Scotia’s manager of forest protection for the Department of Natural Resources, Scott Tingley, mentioned that there are 13 active wildfires burning across Nova Scotia—three of which are “out of control.”
While the Tantallon fire hasn’t grown in size, he added, it’s still estimated at 788 hectares. That’s made challenging by “very hot, dry weather,” Tingley mentioned, which has kept hotspots alive.
Meanwhile, another fire sparked early Tuesday evening in the Sandy Lake area of Bedford. Residents near Stonington Park and Harmony Park have been ordered to evacuate, due in part to fears of an ammonia leak.
Halifax mayor Mike Savage had shared hopes earlier Tuesday that some Haligonians might be able to return to their homes in the coming days—if, that is, weather conditions cooperate. Speaking with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Savage said that by 9am Wednesday, the HRM plans to update Haligonians about whether the current evacuation zone can be reduced in size.
Currently, Nova Scotia’s Emergency Management Office has issued an evacuation order for residents of Tantallon’s Westwood subdivision, Yankeetown subdivision, Haliburton Hills, Glen Arbour, Pockwock Road, White Hills subdivision, Lucasville Road extending to Sackville Drive, Maplewood, Voyageur Way, the McCabe Lake area, Indigo Shores, Olive Street, Bernard Street, Estelle Street, Lewis Street, Farmers Dairy Lane, Giles Drive, Bluewater Road, Topsail Court, Command Court, Gary Martin Drive, Lasalle Court, Castlestone Drive and Hammonds Plains Road between Giles and Larry Uteck Drive.
While Savage was optimistic earlier Tuesday about the HRM’s progress, he was quick to discard any suggestions that the fire’s threat was over.
“We’re not sending a signal that this fire is out,” he said. “We’re just saying that it’s evolving and we recognize that there are areas that we may be able to allow people to return to.”
In the meantime, Houston is adamant that a fire ban remains in place for all of Nova Scotia.
“For god’s sake, stop burning,” Houston said Tuesday afternoon. “Stop flicking your cigarette butts out of your car window. Just stop it. Our resources are stretched incredibly thin.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story noted Houston's remarks came Wednesday afternoon. Houston spoke on Tuesday. The Coast regrets the error.
