'It's something you don't even imagine in your wildest nightmares': Recovery continues after N.S. wildfires

Six weeks after wildfires broke out, ravaging the Tantallon and Hammonds Plains areas of Nova Scotia, work to rebuild is well underway -- but it won't be fast.

On the badly-damaged Shelby Drive in Highland Park, property owner Gregg White stands watch as a crew of tree specialists work on the charred woods surrounding what used to be his home.

"We've got some dangerous trees that were severely damaged that I want gone before there's any other forms of construction," said White. "It's a safety concern."

And less potential fuel for future fires.

The work is steady for the foreseeable future, according to Brennen Beal, owner and operator of Speciality Tree Services.

"We've only had a couple of dozen calls for this so far come in, but the insurance is still working through what needs to be done," Beal told CTV News Monday.

All over Hammonds Plains and Tantallon, tradespeople and construction workers are well into the clean-up and restoration process, but with so much damage, complete recovery will likely take years.

And many dollars. Responsible for distributing much of it, the Red Cross has kept pools of money in separate funds.

The first round -- $500 cheques for displaced families from the province -- ended Friday, with nearly $4 million doled out.

Six million more dollars have been collected from private donations, and money received by June 29 will eventually be matched by the federal and Nova Scotia governments.

"We now have a good sense of the total amount of money we have to work with, thanks to donors," said Dan Bedell, Canadian Red Cross Atlantic communications director via email.

"We also now have a better sense of how many households were heavily impacted by the wildfires and if that includes their house destroyed or damaged, or they face other financial hardships by having been out of their homes days or weeks due to evacuation orders.

The agency says eligible recipients will be able to use it for things like interim housing support, including monthly rent for some of the 25 modular homes that have been ordered by the province.

Insurance coverage will be factored in.

"Whatever portion of that is not covered by them, we'll cover that rent and those set-up costs, and the rent could go on for a couple of years, depending on how long it takes to rebuild their primary residence," said Bedell, adding it was vital for recipients seeking further help to book an appointment for an in-person meeting with a case manager to identify needs and what expenses the Red Cross can cover.

"Our case managers have already been calling those we know need more help (especially for destroyed houses) to book appointments. For anyone who has ongoing needs and hasn’t already heard from the Red Cross they should call us at 1-800-863-6582 (Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ADT) and ask to book an appointment with a Red Cross Case Manager," said Bedell.

As for White, he's grateful his family has found a home to rent in Sackville for at least the next year.

"We were pretty fast to open a claim and start the search. We found temporary housing right away, and as soon as something permanent opened up, we got a house," he said.

"We're OK. You're just waiting for stuff to happen. It's something you don't even imagine in your wildest nightmares."