Massive 2023 Halifax wildfire was beyond the fire department's capabilities: report

Fighting the "unprecedented" wildfire that erupted last year in a western Halifax suburb and quickly engulfed homes went beyond the city's capabilities, says a report by Halifax's fire department.

During the afternoon of May 28, 2023, a wildfire ignited in Upper Tantallon and spread quickly, with 22 structures engulfed in flames within an hour, and about 128 on fire within four hours.

The rapid escalation of the fire "was beyond typical operational contingencies" of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, the report said.

The blaze forced the evacuation of 16,400 people, and by the time the fire was under control six days later, 200 structures were destroyed -- including 151 homes. It consumed 900 hectares of land.

"Despite this unprecedented event, in terms of scope, size, and duration, everyone worked well together without loss of life or significant injury," the report said.

The department's report identified 13 areas for improvement with accompanying recommendations, and said the flow of information between front-line firefighters and the division chief must be improved.

Also noted was a lack of clarity regarding the expected response from firefighters to the Upper Tantallon blaze. As well, the department says it needs to create a plan on how it will make use of nearby fire departments during the next major wildfire.

The incident report was brought forward to Halifax council Tuesday afternoon, and is expected to be discussed at a meeting later this month. David Meldrum, deputy chief of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, said he is unable to be interviewed about the report until it's discussed by council.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2024.

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