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
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.