Fire forces 1,200 residents to evacuate Halifax
Fire forces 1,200 residents to evacuate Halifax
1 May 2009
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Canada —
Some 1,200 Halifax residents were forced to evacuate after a massive brush fire raged outside the port city off Canada’s Atlantic Coast, firefighters said Friday.
High winds drove the fire to burn some 800 hectares (1,977 acres), destroying eight homes and causing damage to seven others, but no victims have yet been confirmed, according to Halifax fire service executive officer Lloyd Currie.
Television footage showed a heavy cloud of smoke above Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia province. Over 300 residents have been evacuated since Thursday.
Firefighters initially indicated they had controlled the fire Thursday, but the fire raged again, with flames over 10 meters (33 feet) high, following new gusts of wind.
The fire was contained but still not under control Friday, said the firefighters, adding that they had been fueled by debris left in 2003 by Hurricane Juan, which caused many trees to fall in the region.
