As a series of unprecedented wildfires in Nova Scotia were still not contained Wednesday morning, for a fourth day, the authorities hoped for a break in the dry and windy weather. But those warmer conditions are unlikely to arrive until Friday night at the earliest, according to the latest forecast.
And while city officials on Tuesday considered allowing some of the 16,000 people evacuated from their Halifax-area residences to return home, Deputy Fire Chief David Meldrum clearly dampened hopes Wednesday morning, given weather forecasts.
Mr Meldrum said the 8.4 square kilometer blaze northwest of downtown Halifax, which grew slightly overnight, could flare up again due to weather conditions.
Gusts from the southwest were expected to reach 25 km/h and the temperature around 25°C, with humidity remaining very low at around 20%.
Deputy Chief Meldrum reminds that under these conditions the fire could quickly grow and spread, which is why the 100 square kilometer evacuation zone will not change for the time being.
Authorities say around 200 buildings, including 151 homes, have been razed since the blaze began in the Upper Tantallon area on Sunday afternoon.
David Steeves, a forestry technician with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, explained that southerly winds are considered “dryers” — they suck moisture from leaves and twigs on the ground. “It could be a very dangerous day today for people on the ground,” warned Steeves.
Meanwhile, a much larger uncontained fire in southwestern Nova Scotia has forced 2,000 people from their homes since the blaze broke out over the weekend in Shelburne County.
The fire northwest of Barrington had grown to nearly 200 square kilometers Wednesday, making it one of the largest wildfires on record in Nova Scotia.
Additionally, a third out-of-control fire is burning near East Pubnico in the province’s southwest, though it’s tiny by comparison at “only” a square kilometer but growing.
No deaths or injuries have been reported so far as a result of these fires in Nova Scotia.