A wildfire that broke out late Wednesday on the outskirts of Halifax has grown rapidly, reaching an estimated area of 1,700 hectares, or 17 square kilometers, on Friday.
The fire is not under control. It’s raging in a very rural area called Jacket Lakeis part of the Halifax Regional Municipality, but is located approximately 100 kilometers northeast of the city center.
Early Thursday evening, as the flames spread, evacuations were ordered for a distance of about 22 kilometers. People on Route 4315 were asked Mooselandon Highway 7 to leave the area immediately.
Start of the widget. Skip widget? End of widget. Return to the beginning of the widget?
According to Roy HallettBetween 100 and 150 homes, both cottages and apartment buildings, were evacuated, according to the Halifax Regional Municipality’s deputy fire chief.
According to the source, the rapid spread of the fire is due to the very hot weather and wind that blew on Thursday. Jim RudderhamDirector, Fleet and Forest Protection Division, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.
Despite just over 4mm of rain falling on Thursday, the forest remained very dry.
Open in full screen mode
Firefighters returned at dawn Friday.
Photo: CBC/Brett Raskin
The department deployed 25 firefighters and two helicopters, assisted by 31 firefighters from Halifax Regional Municipality.
Four devices Air tractor AT-802, airplane Bird Dog and two CL-415 water bombers dispatched from Newfoundland fought the fire Friday. Jacket Lake.
Open in full screen mode
Canadian Red Cross evacuation centers are open to evacuees. They are located at Musquodoboit Rural High School in Middle Musquodoboit and the Marine Driving Academy in Sheet Harbour.
Photo: CBC/Paul Poirier
At a press conference on Friday afternoon Jim Rudderham noticed that the teams deployed to extinguish the fire had made some progress in the morning. He hoped to maintain the momentum until rain was forecast for Sunday.
Winds should become a little calmer on Saturday and 15 to 30 millimeters of rain could fall in the area where the fire is burning on Sunday, said Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
According to Agata Bukar.