N.S. community continues to recover from 2023 wildfire

The quiet streets of Upper Tantallon, N.S., were filled with smoke and panic a little over a year ago as a wildfire raged through the area. Since then, the community has faced months of work and worry.

Dustin O'Leary, a resident and former president of the Westwood Hills Residents Association, said the community has worked toward preparing for wildfires.

"The community has really stepped up and made sure that we are better off than we were in May of last year," said O'Leary. "From a government perspective, the municipality has done a few things, but they could do a lot more."

A major problem during the wildfire was the limited evacuation routes. Residents had only one way out, and while the city has built emergency exits for some areas, most still lack them.

"Especially communities that tend to be landlocked, that are on the water and have literally one way in and out with no other hope of getting out," said O'Leary.

Halifax Regional Municipality councillor Pam Lovelace said the city is working on improving evacuation routes.

"We've been working very closely with property owners and engineers, trying to figure out the quickest and safest route to get people out," said Lovelace.

While acknowledging more work is needed, the city believes it is now much better equipped to deal with fires.

"We have a brand-new wildfire mitigation expert, more training for staff on wildfire mitigation, and we're working with communities through the FireSmart program," Lovelace added.

Given Upper Tantallon's high wildfire risk, the local fire station will soon be staffed around the clock. More firefighters will be hired and additional wildfire trucks will be added.

"Right now, there are three [wildfire trucks], and a tender will be awarded shortly. We've modified our responses and look at the information we have to best use it for future planning," said Roy Hollett, deputy fire chief of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency.

He said those trucks will go to areas with a higher chance of wildfires.

Halifax Fire has also prepared a 100-page report for the council detailing last year's wildfire response, identifying any gaps and highlighting areas for improvement. This report will be delivered to the council next month.

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