News
Wildfire Update: 5pm July 18th
From the Halifax Regional Municipality
(Source: Halifax Regional Municipality )
"DNR personnel and most of the HRFE personnel will depart the scene for the night at dusk and resume firefighting efforts in the morning. Some HRFE personnel will remain at the site to monitor overnight conditions.
DNR has advised that the fire remains out of control and is now estimated to be approximately 1,386 hectares. The reduction in size is due to more accurate mapping of the fire area."
"A mandatory evacuation is still in effect for Mooseland Road, from 4315 Mooseland Road to Highway 7. Impacted residents should follow designated evacuation routes and the direction of local authorities.
Mooseland Road remains closed within the evacuation zone, from 4315 Mooseland Road to Highway 7."
"Affected residents are asked to register with the Canadian Red Cross by contacting: 1-800-863-6582.
It is estimated that the evacuation order impacts approximately 100 to 150 people.
Given the unpredictable nature of wildfires, residents in surrounding areas should continue to monitor official government updates and be prepared to evacuate if conditions change.
For safety reasons, members of the public are advised to avoid any unnecessary travel to the area. This is to assist with firefighting operations and manage traffic in the area.
Two evacuation centres are operated by the Canadian Red Cross and will be open until further notice.
The addresses of the evacuation centres are:
Musquodoboit Rural High School,
11980 Highway #224, Middle Musquodoboit, B0N 1X0
Marine Drive Academy
479 Church Point Road, Sheet Harbour, B0J 3B0.
As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 24 households (44 people in total) have registered with the Canadian Red Cross and some are expected to stay at an evacuation centre overnight."
"While the amount of smoke from the wildfire appears to have recently decreased, residents are still advised to monitor current air quality conditions through Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index for Halifax.
For more information about how to protect physical and mental health due to the impact of wildfire smoke, including recommendations on participating in outdoor events and activities, visit the Government of Canada’s website."
"Wildfires and other natural disasters can change rapidly and without warning. Residents are encouraged to stay informed by monitoring official government updates and to be prepared to evacuate on short notice if an emergency affects their area. Learn more about creating an emergency plan and building an emergency kit on our website.
Residents can also contact 311 by phone, or by email at contactus@311.halifax.ca with any questions."
"At this time, there is no impact to municipal services. Should that change, residents will be notified accordingly.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available on our webpage and shared via Bluesky at @hfxgov.bsky.social, Facebook at @hfxgov and Instagram at @hfxmoments.
Residents are reminded to sign up for hfxALERT, the municipality’s mass notification system, to receive urgent and non-urgent public alerts by phone, email or text."
Liability for this article lies with the author, who also holds the copyright. Editorial content from USPA may be quoted on other websites as long as the quote comprises no more than 5% of the entire text, is marked as such and the source is named (via hyperlink).
