N.S. fire crews continue battling ‘out-of-control’ Porters Lake blaze

PORTERS LAKE, N.S. — Nova Scotia fire crews continue to battle an out-of-control blaze that has forced the evacuation of 523 homes in an area east of Halifax.

David Steeves of the province’s lands and forestry department says the wildfire in the Porters Lake area is now 60 per cent contained and about 50 hectares in size, up from an earlier estimate of 45 hectares.

He says some areas are difficult to access, making the battle “a challenge.” But he says fire crews “are going to bite and claw for every inch.”

Halifax Region fire assistant chief Nadya-Lyse Pare says the outlook looked better Sunday, but that more homes could be evacuated.

Steeves says approximately 45 Halifax firefighters are in the woods alongside 30 firefighters with lands and forestry, including an incident management team.

He says strong winds out of the west could push the fire toward the community, noting that weather and extremely dry conditions have made the situation difficult to predict.

“We are still very involved in a suppression effort, and we’re taking this extremely seriously,” Steeves said Sunday.

“The terrain for the firefighters that are in the woods is extremely trying. You can imagine some of the large boulders and whatnot that Halifax County is known for. So they are dragging lots of equipment up and over that. It’s difficult work. It’s tiring work, but they are out there and they’re working for the betterment of the people of this area. ”

Officials also reminded people of a province-wide ban on burning, saying fire risk in the province is high because of dry conditions, winds and low humidity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2020.

The Canadian Press