(Halifax) A report from the Halifax, Nova Scotia, fire department concludes it was not prepared to fight a wildfire of the magnitude of the one that broke out in 2023 and that the city’s ability to fight it was vastly overwhelmed.
On the afternoon of May 28, 2023, a wildfire broke out in Upper Tantallon and spread rapidly, burning 22 structures in one hour. After four hours, 128 structures had been engulfed in flames.
The rapid escalation of the fire “exceeded the typical operational contingencies” of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services, the report said. The fire forced the evacuation of 16,400 people. When it was brought under control six days later, 200 structures had been destroyed, including 151 homes, and 900 hectares of land had been burned.
“Despite this unprecedented event in terms of scale and duration, everyone worked well together without loss of life or serious injury,” said the incident report, which identified 13 areas for intervention, along with recommendations. It notably proposes that the flow of information between frontline firefighters and the division chief be improved.
The document also highlights a lack of clarity regarding the expected response of firefighters to the Upper Tantallon fire. It says Halifax firefighters should develop a plan for how nearby fire departments can help fight major wildfires in the future.
The incident report was presented to Halifax city council on Tuesday afternoon and its contents are expected to be discussed at a meeting later this month.
David Meldrum, deputy chief of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services, said he could not comment publicly on the report until it had been discussed by council.