Emergency alerts will be sent Friday explaining how access will be granted to various neighbourhoods in the Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains areas, Mike Savage told reporters.
“We remain committed to addressing community safety and to helping people regain what was lost,” he said Thursday, describing the disaster as “the most devastating fire of our times.”
“This last 10 days has been remarkably devastating to the whole community in a way that we haven’t seen in a long time.”
Though the fire was largely contained on Saturday, about 4,000 people were still waiting on Thursday to return to their homes. Most of those people were expected to be given approval to return home before Friday afternoon, but another group could expect to wait longer.
The Halifax Regional Municipality said residents who live within three smaller areas where the most damage was reported should be able to return home within the next 10 days. The municipality said it must first complete a review of infrastructure, install traffic controls and place fences around destroyed properties.
“Keep in mind, it’s still early June,” Savage said. “We need to be vigilant. We need to be careful because, as was seen across the country, wildfires are not going away.”
The mayor also encouraged people to attend a benefit concert on Friday night in Halifax that will raise money for disaster relief.
Erica Fleck, division chief of emergency management, said the municipality would set up a so-called community hub for those who have lost their homes to speak with municipal staff. As well, she said the region has hired the humanitarian organization Team Rubicon, which will provide a team of 50 volunteers to help homeowners sift through their destroyed or badly damaged homes.
In southwestern Nova Scotia, the 235-square-kilometre Barrington Lake fire was being held in place Thursday by 170 firefighters and two helicopters. But officials said the fire remained out of control after it destroyed 60 homes and cottages, and another 150 structures.
“Although the fire is not yet under control, we continue to work hard and do not expect the fire to spread further,” the Shelburne County East Emergency Management Organization said in a statement late Wednesday.
“We acknowledge the frustration of community members, especially of those who have not yet been able to return to their properties and homes,” the organization said. “However, to protect our community members and the wildfire investigation … we need to take a safety-first approach.”
“We have been fortunate to report no fatalities or injuries from the wildfires and we would like to keep it this way,” the statement said.
A major highway that runs along the province’s southwest coast was partially reopened to traffic late Wednesday, allowing commercial traffic and health-care workers to use a section of Highway 103 that was closed when the Barrington Lake fire rapidly moved northward last week.
A provincewide ban on open fires remains in place. The fine for violations has been increased to $25,000.
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