Shelburne County wildfire now being 'held,' not likely to spread
Officials say the largest wildfire in Nova Scotia's history is now being "held," which means it is not likely to spread.
The wildfire covers about 23,411 hectares, or 234 square kilometres, as of Wednesday afternoon.
A statement from the province's wildfire communications team just after 1 p.m. AT Wednesday said the new status means the fire in Shelburne County is not yet under control, but it is also no longer considered out of control, it's somewhere in between.
"Fire crews continue to put out hot spots in the area and residents are asked to continue to follow all safety protocols and avoid all remaining evacuation areas, including trails, roads, and highways," the email said.
People displaced by wildfires in Nova Scotia can call 211 to get information about short- and long-term housing options, the province announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
"We wanted to set something up to ensure that people had an outreach point … and get them into the proper process," said Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton.
On Wednesday evening, the province announced that the section of Highway 103 between exits 27 and 30 would reopen to certain types of traffic.
Putting out hotspots
Warren MacLeod, the CAO of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne, said Natural Resources crews are focusing on the perimeter of the fire.
"They're basically going around every single edge and they're identifying these hotspots. They're going in and they're digging them out and making sure that they're safe," MacLeod told CBC Radio's Maritime Noon on Wednesday.
"They're confident right now that the perimeter is not going to expand and they're now down to the fine tuning of putting those hotspots out."
Over the past five days, the Shelburne area has picked up over 100 millimetres of rain, a total close to what fell in the area through all of April and May combined.
The fact that it didn't come all in one day, but instead was spread over a few days was key not only in helping fire crews, but also aiding with fire risk in the coming weeks, said CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon.
How residents can learn about status of home
The municipalities of Barrington and Shelburne said beginning Wednesday, those who remain out of their homes were being asked to contact their municipality to book an appointment to learn more about the status of their property.
"We want to make sure that the people whose homes have been damaged or lost, we'll get them in ahead of time so that they are in that zone under escort with the RCMP to spend time at their sites with nobody else around and nobody else interfering," MacLeod said.
Officials were asking residents to visit the Shelburne County East Emergency Management Facebook page to find contact information to book appointments and to find out more information on well-water testing and electricity. Contact information has also been posted to the Barrington and Clark's Harbour Emergency Management Organization Facebook page.
But Janet and Peter Elgi have been left frustrated by the lack of communication. They were forced to leave their home on Upper Clyde Road when the evacuation was first ordered, and they've been staying in a motel in Shelburne with their pets.
Janet Elgi said she contacted the Barrington municipality Wednesday morning to try to find out if their home is still standing, but she was told she couldn't book an in-person appointment because they're in Shelburne.
Later Wednesday, Janet Elgi said she spoke with someone from the municipality and was told her home wasn't damaged.
The Elgis say they haven't been able to work because their jobs are on Cape Sable Island, and the only way they could get there is by driving three or four hours around Yarmouth.
But, they say, that would be unrealistic, especially if they find out that they can go home soon.
"There's some areas that they're saying, with the hotspots, it could be days to weeks. Is that us? Like, are we going to be out for another two weeks? We need to know what's going on," Peter Elgi said.
Municipality 'inundated' with calls
Chris Frotten, the CAO for the Municipality of Barrington, said the municipality has been "inundated" with phone calls from people.
"It's the biggest disaster we've ever had to handle and we're trying our best to inform the public," he said.
Frotten said people should contact the municipality's main phone line at 902-637-7899. He said if individuals can't get through, they should keep calling or contact their councillor.
Frotten said the municipality is hoping to notify residents by Thursday. He said the aim is for some residents in the evacuated zones to begin returning home by the end of the week.
60 homes lost
An estimated 60 homes and a total of 150 structures have been destroyed by the wildfire that started near Barrington Lake on May 27.
That's in addition to 200 homes and structures lost and damaged in a separate fire in the Upper Tantallon area outside Halifax.
Rushton said Tuesday that of the 60 homes in the Shelburne area, some are primary residences while others could be cottages. He said the other structures include outbuildings like garages or sheds.
The municipality will have support packages, including help with insurance and mental health, for residents whose properties have been damaged or destroyed.
A team from Alberta was also in the area to help the municipality with the recovery process and offer expertise.
Power line damage
Nova Scotia Power has said there has been minimal damage to electrical equipment, but some poles and lines will need to be repaired.
Spokesperson Matt Drover said if anyone is returning home and the power is off, they should unplug electrical devices to avoid power surges.
He also urged people to do a visual assessment to check for damage. Drover said in some cases, an electrician may be needed before Nova Scotia Power can safely restore power.
He added if customers come back and the power is already on, they should still inspect their homes for damage.
'A whole list of hazards'
Erica Fleck, the director of emergency management for the Halifax Regional Municipality, also spoke at Wednesday's wildfire briefing.
She said that while some homes were not impacted by the Tantallon-area wildfire and have had their power restored, that doesn't mean they are safe to return to.
"We have a whole list of hazards that are still ongoing that do not make it safe for people to traverse through those neighbourhoods," said Fleck.
Some of these hazards include contamination, downed power lines, and well caps that are no longer in place. She said propane tanks have blown up as recently as Tuesday.
Where to get the mail
Canada Post says it is making mail available to evacuees. It is posting service disruptions on its website.
In a news release, it said customers not receiving mail in the areas impacted by wildfires can pick it up at the following locations:
Barrington: Barrington Post Office, 2398 Highway 3, Barrington.
Barrington Passage: Barrington Passage Post Office, 3518 Main St., Barrington Passage.
Clarks Harbour: Clarks Harbour Post Office, 2797 Main St., Clarks Harbour.
Dartmouth: 28 Topple Dr., Dartmouth.
Lockeport: Lockeport Post Office, 30 Beech St., Lockeport.
McGray: McGray Post Office, 1867 Stoney Island Rd., Centreville.
Shelburne: Shelburne Post Office, 162 Mowatt St., Shelburne.
Tantallon: Tantallon Post Office, 12724 Peggys Cove Rd., Tantallon.
Canada Post said customers who have a trackable package should check if it has arrived before heading to the post office. It said customers must present a valid government-issued photo ID to pick up letter mail or packages.
Canada Post is also offering free mail forwarding for the next 12 months. It said impacted residents have until July 5 to register. The following are eligible postal codes:
Barrington Passage: B0W 1G0.
Barrington: B0W 1E0.
Clarks Harbour: B0W 1P0.
Clyde River: B0W 1R0.
McGray: B0W 2G0.
Port Clyde: B0W 2S0.
Shelburne: B0T 1W0.
Tantallon: B3Z 1A0.
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