More Halifax residents can return home Friday after wildfires
Many Tantallon residents who were evacuated due to wildfires that destroyed 151 homes in the area will be permitted to return home Friday, the Halifax Regional Municipality said.
Mayor Mike Savage said Halifax residents should expect an alert Friday with details for those in the Upper Tantallon area who will be able to return to their community.
“Tomorrow it is our intent, it is our plan, that the majority of people who were evacuated will be able to return to their homes,” Savage said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
There are about 4,100 residents in the Halifax Regional Municipality that are under evacuation orders as of Thursday evening.
Those living in areas most severely impacted by wildfires will have to wait a bit longer before they can return, said Erica Fleck, Halifax’s director of emergency management.
Fleck said residents from areas of “significant impact” should expect to remain evacuated for as long as 10 days while safety inspections continue and fencing is installed around destroyed homes.
These three locations in the "dark orange zone" on municipal mapping are where the bulk of the burned down structures, fuel spills and impassable roads are located.
HRM map of fire impact
“There’s a significant list of items that are still big safety risks in those areas,” Fleck said.
“As we get down to the nitty gritty, we have to take it street by street, and house by house to make sure we’re not sending people to an unsafe environment.”
The emergency management director said crews are working on identifying specific areas that are still dangerous that will be cordoned off with fencing before allowing residents to return.
Wildfires in the suburban area northwest of Halifax were first reported May 28 and more than 16,000 people were displaced at the height of evacuations.
Thursday marks the final day to register online with the Canadian Red Cross to receive $500 per household for evacuees. The organization said that residents who have been unable to register online can continue to call 1-800-863-6582 to access support.
Fires are considered under control — but not out — in Westwood Hills, Tantallon and Hammonds Plains.
The Barrington Lake wildfire in Shelburne County that covers 23,525 hectares is still classified as "being held,” which means it is not moving, but is still not under control.
For More Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.