Questions remain after report released on response during 2023 Halifax area wildfire

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency has completed its Post Incident Analysis (PIA) report, which discusses its operations and response during the Upper Tantallon, N.S., wildfire last year.

While it took longer to release the report on the wildfire analysis than it did to rebuild some of the homes destroyed by it, people living in the area are happy to see it.

“You can’t read that report and not see how hard they worked,” said Dustin O’Leary, a resident in Westwood Hills who had to evacuate from his home.

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However, O’Leary said he was hoping to see recommendations to prevent future wildfires and the creation of safety exit routes that would get people out of the area quicker, in case a similar event was to happen again.

“It’s still a huge barrier and gap that you still have so many communities that are still vulnerable.”

The report also left some questions for the area’s councillor Pam Lovelace.

“I saw that water supply seemed to be sufficient and I found that curious because we don’t have fire hydrants in Westwood or Highland Park. I don’t know how they measured that.”

Upper Tantallon, N.S., suffered heavy wildfire damage in 2023. (Hafsa Arif/CTV News Atlantic)

During the wildfire, communication was a huge concern, something O’Leary doesn’t think the report highlights enough.

“It was a disjointed network of communication both to the public and internally during which was visible as an outsider looking in, which is something they need to improve on.”

While the report is thorough, it does not include how the fire started.

“The Department of Natural Resources hasn’t completed their investigation, so I suspect that’s the reasoning for not including that into this report. However, that’s the question that every single one of us that lives in that evacuation area, we want to know,” said Lovelace.

Trees charred from a wildfire are seen in Hammonds Plains, N.S., during a media tour, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL, Tim Krochak

The report is one of many being conducted by the municipality and the province, but those will take time be released.

“I am concerned [that] it is taking too long. It’s urgent work that needs to be done,” said Lovelace.

On Tuesday, city staff will bring the report to council. On Aug. 20, councillors will debate the report.

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