Big Fires Around Halifax

[Eye In The Sky]

Dumb teenagers doing dumb things. Glad to hear that there has been no injuries or deaths.

When was the last time there has been a forest fire in the region? I can imagine that the fuel load would be high because I cannot recall a fire for the last 30 years. We really need to do more prescribed burns across the country to reduce the fuel and maybe also reduce building in the environmental interface zones.

I’ve been around NS since 2001 or so give or take; I don’t ever remember a fire in this area.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Ya this is very substantial. And in somewhat densely populated areas. I expect many have lost most of their worldly possessions. I hope they were able to save their loved ones and pets.

What a terrible time for this to happen, only amplifying our housing crisis in Halifax.

I live in Fairview, and took my daughter and puppy to the park last night, you could taste it and the smoke plume was truly huge.

It’s pretty tragic. I was outside doing this and that yesterday, not on tech until supper time or so. And it went from zero to 60 in the afternoon.

There is also the Barrington fire; it has basically doubled it’s size since around 6pm last night.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I’ve been around NS since 2001 or so five or take; I don’t even remember a fire in this area.

There was a fire out Spryfield way a couple years back.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Updated map.

That’s a fair size area. We need some heavy rain for a few days and aren’t getting any so far.

Hoping the winds don’t switch to NE…WNW might be the best direction at this point?

 

[kratz]

I am in contact with my DEM class discussing these wildfires. My observation is that the HRM , EMO and DNR response to this wildfire is an improvement over last fall and Hurricanes Fiona. Granted, a larger concentration of people are affected with these fires, but the lessons learned and improving is key for mitigating and responding to future disasters.

 

[Halifax Tar]

That’s a fair size area. We need some heavy rain for a few days and aren’t getting any so far.

Hoping the winds don’t switch to NE…WNW might be the best direction at this point?

I think the winds are blowing towards the city... But I stand to be corrected.

Its hard to wish for a direction because either way people are going to be affected.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I think the winds are blowing towards the city... But I stand to be corrected.

Its hard to wish for a direction because either way people are going to be affected.

Yup. I was thinking, WNW was “away from middle and lwr Sackville”.

Just saw it’s approaching 800 hectares and still out of control.

Winds gusting 40km. Bad day.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

 

[RangerRay]

Jeezus…I’m guessing this kind of a wildfire isn’t very common in the Maritimes? I know they have crews and tankers there, but I never hear about big fires in that part of the country.

Godspeed to everyone in the area and my heart goes out to those affected.

 

[OldSolduer]

I was quite surprised to see a wildfire in Halifax.

Hope y’all are ok.
Be safe…

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Jeezus…I’m guessing this kind of a wildfire isn’t very common in the Maritimes? I know they have crews and tankers there, but I never hear about big fires in that part of the country.

Godspeed to everyone in the area and my heart goes out to those affected

NS doesn’t have tankers, we do have some helicopters.

From the press conference today; a typical fire season, NS deals with 140-150 fires. There have been over 180 fires already this season. If fire season = our burn restriction period each year, that is 15 Mar to 15 Oct.

There are lots of people ignoring restrictions and bans. There’s a lot of fuel in the forests and woodlands. That leads to a bad outcome.

 

[RangerRay]

NS doesn’t have tankers, we do have some helicopters.

Ok thanks. I thought I had seen Nova Scotia marked CL-215’s before. It was a few years, or I may have confused them with someone else’s. I’m getting to that age.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

A few pics:

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Latest update for Tantallon said the fire didn’t grow in size today.

Unfortunately, can’t say that about the Barrington one. Almost 10k hectares now…

My wife didn’t really grasp what 10k hectares is; 2.47 acres per hectare.

 

[Navy_Pete]

NS doesn’t have tankers, we do have some helicopters.

From the press conference today; a typical fire season, NS deals with 140-150 fires. There have been over 180 fires already this season. If fire season = our burn restriction period each year, that is 15 Mar to 15 Oct.

There are lots of people ignoring restrictions and bans. There’s a lot of fuel in the forests and woodlands. That leads to a bad outcome.

Did they clear the forests out of deadfall from the big storm a few years ago?

Flying into Ottawa Friday was thinking how much down trees there was still left over from the jericho (?) tornado thing a few years ago that is now nice and dry. And a lot of it is evergreen which is a pretty fuel rich and relatively easy to light wood once it dries out.

 

[Remius]

Did they clear the forests out of deadfall from the big storm a few years ago?

Flying into Ottawa Friday was thinking how much down trees there was still left over from the jericho (?) tornado thing a few years ago that is now nice and dry. And a lot of it is evergreen which is a pretty fuel rich and relatively easy to light wood once it dries out.

Dericho. And yes, it’s a fire bomb waiting to happen. Still lots to clean up after that mess.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Did they clear the forests out of deadfall from the big storm a few years ago?

Flying into Ottawa Friday was thinking how much down trees there was still left over from the jericho (?) tornado thing a few years ago that is now nice and dry. And a lot of it is evergreen which is a pretty fuel rich and relatively easy to light wood once it dries out.

Aside from personal property, not that I’m aware of. There is a dangerous amount of “standing”/leaning firewood” from Dorian in 2019 and Fiona last September.

My sister is in New Glasgow area; they have 3 acres or so and lost over 200 trees. That’s a lot of wood next to their house.

Driving on the TC Hey around Oxford, etc it’s hard to look at not see “standing firewood”.

I haven’t been thru the area the fire is in close to the city so can’t say there.

But flying over certain areas, ya there is a substantial amount of lumber in amounts of concern that has been drying out.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

 

[brihard]

Latest update for Tantallon said the fire didn’t grow in size today.

Unfortunately, can’t say that about the Barrington one. Almost 10k hectares now…

My wife didn’t really grasp what 10k hectares is; 2.47 acres per hectare.

View attachment 77838

100 ha = 1 km2. That’s a lot of burnt area…

 

[DBNSG]

Aside from personal property, not that I’m aware of. There is a dangerous amount of “standing”/leaning firewood” from Dorian in 2019 and Fiona last September.

My sister is in New Glasgow area; they have 3 acres or so and lost over 200 trees. That’s a lot of wood next to their house.

Driving on the TC Hey around Oxford, etc it’s hard to look at not see “standing firewood”.

I haven’t been thru the area the fire is in close to the city so can’t say there.

But flying over certain areas, ya there is a substantial amount of lumber in amounts of concern that has been drying out.

Premier Houstan might just ask the RCAF to do a survey perhaps