'They’re burnt up but they’re something': Tantallon-area residents find items left behind from wildfires

Standing in the shell of his former house, Andrew Vey sifts through the rubble left behind from the Tantallon-area wildfire’s path of destruction.

He found some of his navy medals in what was his office. He also found part of a pipe—a keepsake from his sister’s wedding.

“They’re burnt up but they’re something. I found a little jewelry box that has some old burnt up rings in it and stuff and some old coins so maybe clean them off or just leave them as they are,” Vey said.

“I thought maybe if I could take one small thing at least for each person, if I could find something then you know, maybe put it in the next house.”

This was Vey’s first time back home. It’s where he lived with his wife and two young children. His shed and garage survived, but his home is destroyed.

“The home is just a building, a house is just a house, the home is the family in it so we’ll get new things and we’ll move on from there,” Vey said.

For those in the area whose houses survived the blaze, the next challenge is addressing potential water contamination through testing.

It’s a process that takes time and requires residents to disinfect their well then wait five days before sampling.

Glenn Hopkins put chlorine in his well Sunday night.

At first his water was dark brown. About 12 hours later, it lightened up — but so had the water pressure.

“We were one of the lucky ones. As you can see our neighbourhood is still standing but the whole process has been one thing that you don’t know after another,” Hopkins said.

Free well water testing kits are available at pick-up locations in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Shelburne County, Yarmouth County and Lunenburg County.

Elizabeth MacDonald, a director of communications with Nova Scotia’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, said there are lots of kits available.

In the HRM, they’re available to be picked up and dropped off at the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Centre Monday to Friday at 6 – 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Samples must be collected no more than one hour before they are dropped off.

Throughout the subdivisions that are now allowing homeowners back in, power is being restored and insurers are popping by.

The city is giving out water jugs and smoke kits — bags with gloves, mops and cleaning solutions.

Back at the Vey's place, the focus is on what’s left and what’s next. The family has found an apartment to move into.

“We’ll be okay and we’ll move on from here but it’s going to be a while before we figure out exactly what the plan is going to be over here I guess too so we’ll see what our options are,” he said.  

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