More evacuees allowed to return to their Tantallon-area homes after devastating wildfire

More evacuees were allowed to return home this weekend, more than two weeks after a series of devastating wildfires broke out in Nova Scotia.

For the first time in weeks, Goldie Launt woke up in her own bed Sunday morning.

“Laundry had to be done and things like that. So groceries had to be put away… when we came back and the biggest ask was the fridge,” said Launt.

While Launt’s Tantallon-area home looks to be in great shape from the street, the back of the house shows the proximity of the flames.

“When I look at the back of house it makes mad, but when I'm in this part of the house I feel happy that this part has survived for us to live in. The back part has lots of repairs,” she said.

Launt says she's thrown away over $2,500 worth of food and spent even more on necessities during the time she was evacuated.

She's not alone; 16,000 people were forced to leave their homes because of the Tantallon-area wild fire.

“Needs we're hearing about is food. They're coming home and their entire freezers and fridges are spoiled. They have to replace everything,” said Deborah Page, strategic communications director for United Way Halifax.

“In some cases, we're hearing that appliances need to be replaced because there's no coming back from it.”

Since the wildfire, fundraising efforts have been underway to support those impacted.

Along with the wildfire recovery concert and others fundraisers, the United Way has raised $1.3 million that will go to partner organizations healing those impacted by the fires.

“Even if you were not immediately impacted in terms of your own home being damaged, we have lost daycares and lost other kinds of things that provide support to families,” said Page.

The Red Cross has also set up an appeal across the country. The money raised will go toward the families in the most heavily impacted areas.

“We're already in discussions with provincial and municipal government and other organizations and other community partners and obviously the impacted families themselves,” said Dan Bedel, communications director to the Atlantic region Red Cross.

The St. Margaret’s Bay Lions Club is also providing support to families. Over the weekend the group gave families $150 dollars for groceries. Within a day, $30,000 was handed out. The group is in the process of organizing more fundraisers to continue supporting families. In the meantime, their encouraging families to reach out.

Many families who had to evacuate their homes have received a $500 payment from the province, but Launt says that's not enough.

“A lot of people are staying in hotels so they're spending their money on restaurants,” said Launt.

The United way says a false Instagram account has been collecting donations, and people need to watch for fraudulent accounts.

The United way says a false Instagram account has been collecting donations for those impacted by the wildfires.

GoFundMe has launched a dedicated hub, hosting verified fundraisers set up to help those affected by the wildfires in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

The Halifax Regional Municipality lifted evacuation orders for more streets Sunday afternoon. They are:

• Nicole Court
• Shelby Drive (partial)
• Timberlane Terrace
• Weaver Court

Officials say they're working on reopening other streets and are asking people who don't live in the area to avoid travelling there.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.