Moving forward from the 2023 wildfires in the Halifax Regional Municipality

a plant sprouting from soil

On May 28, 2023, a major wildfire broke out in the Hammonds Plains and Upper Tantallon communities, displacing more than 16,000 residents at its peak and burning hundreds of hectares of forest, rural and suburban infrastructure within the municipality including homes, businesses and community facilities. It was one of the largest municipal evacuations and emergency responses on record.

Since then, considerable work has been completed, with more underway, to improve the municipality’s ability to respond to similar emergencies and build resiliency within our communities to protect life, property and infrastructure.

As the municipality, the province and Canada, as a whole, experienced this past year, wildfires pose a very serious risk to our communities. While the initiatives listed above will help the municipality deal with the impact of wildfires, residents are encouraged to prepare for wildfire season by: staying informed about weather conditions and fire restrictions; planning an evacuation route; having an emergency kit; and learning about the FireSmart program, which helps protect residents, their homes, neighbourhoods, critical infrastructure and vital natural resources from wildfire.

Work completed, in progress and ongoing to date

  • June 2023 – Regional Council requested a staff report on developing egress for the Westwood Hills subdivision. As a result of this direction, several conceptual options for emergency-only egress connections to Highway 103 were prepared and evaluated in a staff report prepared by municipal staff and presented to Regional Council on November 28, 2023. Work is ongoing and being led by the municipality’s Transportation Planning section. 
  • July 2023 – Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA) began. An assessment used in emergency management to help the municipality understand community and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and resiliency. Work is ongoing and is led by the municipality’s Emergency Management division. For project updates visit the Shape Your City page. 
  • October 2023 – Upper Tantallon Wildfire After-Action Report completed. This lesson’s learned document provided nine recommendations with supporting strategies to improve the municipality’s response and support to residents in a similar emergency. The report was accepted by motion in Regional Council November 28, 2023. Report presentation summary 
  • November 2023 – Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR) launched. This voluntary, self-referral list is for residents who may require additional support during emergencies. This list then helps inform municipal Emergency Management staff, volunteers and first responders how to better respond to resident needs. For more details and to register visit halifax.ca/vvpr. 
  • April 2024 – FireScout pilot project launch to aid in wildfire detection. In partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency installed three wildfire detection cameras in Musquodoboit Harbour, Middle Sackville and Hammonds Plains. These cameras are powered by FireScout artificial intelligence, providing a 360-degree view and 24 hours-a-day monitoring of the landscape for signs of smoke. Learn more at the HRFE project page.  
  • April 2024 - Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency hired a Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager to oversee the entire wildfire program and to create a strategy and plan for improvements to wildfire suppression, equipment, training and mitigation/ prevention.
  • April 2024 - As part of the 2024/25 municipal budget, Regional Council approved an accelerated hiring of a group of new firefighters to facilitate the transformation of a fire station in the Upper Tantallon/Hammonds Plains communities from weekday (Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) staffing to 24/7/365 staffing.
  • In progress – Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency is in the process of preparing a Post Incident Analysis report of the response to the Upper Tantallon wildfire and details will be provided once the report is complete and available. 
  • Ongoing – HalifACT. The municipality’s long-term climate action plan focuses on taking actions to limit our climate impact helping prevent climate change from worsening – an important part in preventing conditions that can lead to wildfires. In 2024, a dedicated climate adaptation team was formed to focus on building resilience into municipal infrastructure, communities and ecosystems. To learn more visit halifax.ca/climate. 
  • Ongoing – FireSmart. Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency adopted the FireSmart program in 2022 – a national program that helps protect residents, their homes, neighbourhoods, critical infrastructure and vital natural resources from wildfire. To learn more and sign up for a free FireSmart home assessment visit halfiax.ca/firesmart. 

Questions and answers

What has the municipality done in the last year to enhance community safety around wildfires?

Over the past year, the municipality has initiated a number of programs and initiatives to enhance community safety, including: 

  • Lessons Learned Report - The preparation of the Upper Tantallon Wildfires Lessons Learned report that was provided to Regional Council on October 17, 2023, and presented to the Committee of the Whole on November 28, 2023. This was a staff-initiated report that examined the municipality’s response to the wildfire to validate strengths and recommend corrective actions for the various municipal business units. This report included a number of recommendations that are currently being worked on by municipal staff which include, but are not limited to:

    • a review of the current emergency plan to take steps towards preplanning a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan framework with current best practices and lessons learned; 

    • the development of a crisis communications plan intended to serve as a communications framework to guide the municipality through effective crisis communications with employees, residents, media and other key partners;

    • enhancing public education with respect to necessary preparations and processes to improve response to evacuation alerts and orders and to enhance community preparedness and resiliency;

    • ensuring that the Incident Command System (ICS) is implemented upon Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activation and scaled accordingly (note – ICS is a command and control structure used to help manage emergency incidents and planned events); 

    • a review of business unit participation in the EOC during an emergency and mandate the appropriate level of ICS training for the role; and

    • a review of each business unit's Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plans. 

  • Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR) - Launched in November 2023, the VVPR is a self-referral list only for residents who may require support during emergencies. The VVPR provides important information to Emergency Management staff, volunteers and first responders to help appropriately respond to resident needs in situations such as sustained power outages, severe storms, and more. To learn more about VVPR and to register, visit: halifax.ca/vvpr.

  • Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA) – Once launched, the HRVA will be used to help the municipality plan for emergencies. The objectives of the HRVA are to increase community and organizational resiliency to climate, technological, human and conflict-related hazards, by informing and influencing decision-making and project-planning. This includes identifying critical infrastructure and risk mitigation measures, enhancing community awareness and providing education. To learn more about the HRVA, visit shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/hrva.

  • Emergency Management staff – The Community Safety business unit has increased the staffing capacity in the Emergency Management division by four positions to ensure that all the pillars of emergency management intended to prioritize life safety and mitigate risks and consequences of emergency events can be fulfilled. These new positions include an Administrative Assistant, an HRVA Specialist, a Volunteer Coordinator and a VVPR Coordinator.  

  • FireScout – Launched in May 2024, in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia, FireScout is a pilot program using artificial intelligence (AI) software to detect wildfires in three areas across the municipality. Specialized cameras have been placed on provincial communications towers in Hammonds Plains, Musquodoboit Harbour and Middle Sackville. AI software monitors the imagery for signs of smoke. When smoke is detected, an alert is sent to Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) for assessment and action. The cameras run 24/7 and offer a 360-degree view of their area, enhancing wildfire safety through early detection and accuracy. To learn more about the FireScout program, visit the webpage.    

  • Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager – In April 2024, HRFE hired a Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager to oversee the entire wildfire program and to create a strategy and plan for improvements to wildfire suppression, equipment, training and mitigation/ prevention. Along with this position a municipal planner will be hired to work with the Planning & Development business unit to be more proactive in public safety planning in existing developments and for new developments. 

  • Wildfire Firefighting Equipment – HRFE is adding to its capacity by purchasing equipment pertaining to wildfires, which includes three new wildfire fire trucks, along with two structure protection units equipped with sprinklers, a rainmaker and personal protective equipment for firefighters. This equipment will increase structure protection capabilities. 

  • Approval of 24/7/365 staffing of a fire station in the Upper Tantallon/Hammonds Plains communities –   As part of the 2024/25 municipal budget, Regional Council approved an accelerated hiring of a group of new firefighters to facilitate the transformation of a fire station in the Upper Tantallon/Hammonds Plains communities from weekday (Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) staffing to 24/7/365 staffing.

  • Public Education on Burning Restrictions – HRFE has been working on increasing public awareness of the FireSmart program risk assessment and training additional firefighters in this area. As well, HRFE is providing more public information through website updates on when burning is permitted within the municipality in addition to looking at legislation and enforcement increases with the intent of decreasing the number of fires occurring during restricted periods. 

  • Grants for HRFE – HRFE is proactively applying for grants to increase their programs’ ability, such as an Indigenous researcher to improve program diversity and incorporate cultural practices and wording. 

  • HRFE Wildfire Training – HRFE is increasing training for firefighters in all aspects of wildfire and is incorporating simulation tables as well as training exercises with their partners in wildfire protection.

  • Firefighting Cistern Installation – A 10,000-gallon (37,850 litre) cistern that will be installed in the Tantallon area in the coming months. HRFE is also looking at options for the installation of similar equipment in other locations within the municipality that have limited access to water supply.

  • HalifACT – The municipality’s long-term climate action plan, focuses on taking actions to limit our climate impact. Helping to prevent climate change from worsening is an important part in preventing conditions that can lead to wildfires. In 2024, a dedicated climate adaptation team was formed to focus on building resilience into municipal infrastructure, communities and ecosystems. To learn more about HalifACT, visit the webpage.

How did the municipality help those who were directly impacted by the wildfires?

Many families, homes and businesses were affected by the wildfires. To help those who were directly impacted, the municipality: 

  • opened three comfort centres during the emergency event, operated by Joint Emergency Management teams; 
  • engaged Team Rubicon to assist with the initial site-level recovery efforts from June 7 to July 7, 2023. Their primary task involved providing sifting services and sorting debris on 97 residential properties;
  • provided drop-off bins for the disposal of spoiled food at 21 different locations. These bins collected 215 tonnes of packaged material over 10 days. Additionally, approximately 575 fridges and freezers were collected for CFC removal and recycling; 
  • established a community hub that offered well water testing kits, smoke kits and resources including key information and access to community partners who provide support services, such as the Canadian Red Cross and United Way. The community hub was opened on June 22, 2023, and operated until September 13, 2023; and
  • provided information about the Residential Property Tax Exemption Program.
What tax relief did the municipality provide to homeowners who were impacted by the fire?

The municipality has had a Residential Property Tax Exemption Program in place since June 2023 for properties that were destroyed or partially destroyed by the 2023 Upper Tantallon wildfire.

The municipality calculates property tax based on the property assessment value determined annually by the Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC), the assessment authority for Nova Scotia.

For the Residential Property Tax Exemption Program, PVSC conducted reviews of properties identified by Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) as being destroyed or partially destroyed by the fires to account for the damage sustained. PVSC then provided revised opinions of value to the municipality, which the municipality used to recalculate property tax, if eligible, for the 2024 property tax bill.

The review of property for the purpose of residential property tax exemption for homes destroyed or partially destroyed by the fires is separate from the annual reassessment PVSC completes each year.

The 2024 property assessment, which residents received from PVSC in January 2024, is what the municipality has used to calculate those respective property taxes for 2024.

Annual property assessments reflect a market value as of January 1 and the physical state of the property, such as new construction, renovations, or demolitions as of December 1 of the prior year (i.e. December 1, 2023, for the 2024 Assessment). This means future property assessments will reflect any changes to a property since the fires.

Full eligibility criteria and related information is available on this webpage.

What has the municipality done to prepare for the current wildfire season?

The municipality has undertaken a number of initiatives within the past year that will assist preparations for the 2024 wildfire season. These include:

  • FireScout – Launched in May 2024, in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia, FireScout is a pilot program using artificial intelligence (AI) software to detect wildfires in three areas across the municipality. Specialized cameras have been placed on provincial communications towers in Hammonds Plains, Musquodoboit Harbour and Middle Sackville. AI software monitors the imagery for signs of smoke. When smoke is detected, an alert is sent to Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) for assessment and action. The cameras run 24/7 and offer a 360-degree view of their area, enhancing wildfire safety through early detection and accuracy. To learn more about the FireScout program, visit the webpage.
     
  • FireSmart – Launched in 2022, the FireSmart program helps protect residents, their homes, neighbourhoods, critical infrastructure and vital natural resources from wildfire. This is achieved through seven disciplines that help neighbourhoods address the threat of wildfire: vegetation management, emergency planning, education, legislation, development, interagency cooperation and cross-training. Through a voluntary process, residents can register to receive a free wildfire risk assessment for their property using the FireSmart standard. Residents will be given a report of their homes and recommendations for reducing the risk of interface fire on their property structures. To learn more about the FireSmart program, visit the webpage.
     

  • Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager – Created by HRFE in 2024, this new, full-time position focuses on developing a strategy to tackle all things related to wildfires through the use of the seven FireSmart principles: education, emergency planning, vegetation management, legislation, development, interagency cooperation and cross training. The Program Manager consults regularly through the chain of command with chiefs and other staff providing guidance and advice on wildfire mitigation.

  • Public education on burning restrictions – HRFE is providing more public information through website updates on when burning is permitted within the municipality in addition to looking at legislation and enforcement increases with the intent of decreasing the number of fires occurring during restricted periods.

  • Wildfire firefighting equipment – HRFE is adding to its capacity by purchasing equipment pertaining to wildfires which includes three new wildfire fire trucks along with two structure protection units equipped with sprinklers, a rainmaker and personal protective equipment for firefighters. This equipment will increase structure protection capabilities. 

  • HRFE wildfire training – HRFE is increasing training for firefighters in all aspects of wildfire and is incorporating simulation tables as well as training exercises with their partners in wildfire protection.

What is the status of the Post Incident Analysis report that is being prepared by HRFE?

Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) is in the process of preparing a Post Incident Analysis report of the response to the Upper Tantallon wildfire.

It is still being drafted by HRFE staff and will be shared publicly once an internal review of the report has been completed.

What is the municipality doing to address emergency egress routes?

In the aftermath of the Upper Tantallon wildfires, Regional Council requested a staff report on developing egress for the Westwood Hills subdivision (June 6, 2023). As result of Regional Council direction, several conceptual alignment options for emergency-only egress connections to Highway 103 were prepared and evaluated based on topography, property ownership, connection length, design guidelines, highway access and operations. Municipal staff also did research into possible roadway connections between the Westwood Hills subdivision and adjacent communities including Highland Park and Upper Hammonds Plains.  
 
On November 28, 2023, staff returned to Regional Council to present findings from the initial investigation into a Westwood Hills egress route. Staff concluded that though options have been conceptually identified, all routing options need to be further refined to develop a better understanding of their feasibility and operational effectiveness (e.g., constructability, cost, property requirements, environmental impacts, etc.)  

Regional Council subsequently directed staff to: 

  • proceed with the planning, design and key partner engagement required to develop an emergency-only connection to Highway 103 from the Westwood Hills subdivision; and
  • proceed with further investigation into the development of community connector roadways with landowners of adjacent communities including Highland Park and Upper Hammonds Plains and consider any necessary amendments to the Regional Plan and Regional Subdivision By-law to enable these specific neighbourhood egress routes. 

In terms of next steps, staff are in the process of advancing the planning and design work for the potential egress options and expect to return to Regional Council with recommendations by fall 2024.  

How many building permits have been issued for properties that were damaged or lost in the wildfire?

The approved permits (as of May 13, 2024) for the wildfire area are as follows: 

  • Dwelling Units (including backyard suites): 120
  • Accessory Buildings: 27
  • Commercial: 3
  • Total: 150
  • Includes 18 full occupancies
Where can I find any reports to Regional Council, debriefs, or other municipal documents that address the wildfires?

Documents related to the wildfires can be found here:

What did the wildfires cost the municipality?

The current costs incurred to date directly related to the wildfires are approximately $11.7 million.

How can residents prepare for wildfire season?

As the municipality, the province and Canada, as a whole, experienced last year, wildfires pose a very serious risk to our communities. Residents are encouraged to prepare for wildfire season (March 15 to October 15), by: 

  • staying informed about weather conditions and fire restrictions; 
  • planning an evacuation route;
  • having an emergency kit; and
  • learning about the FireSmart program, which helps protect residents, their homes, neighbourhoods, critical infrastructure and vital natural resources from wildfire.
What fire mitigation measures are in place to protect neighbourhoods? 

Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency (HRFE) is in their third year of implementing a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire strategy. This is a multi-year strategy and includes the following tactics, some of which are already underway or are annual activities:

  • increasing capabilities to fight fires in the WUI, installing at least one new dry hydrant every year;
  • inspecting and testing existing dry hydrants every year;
  • developing and maintaining an inventory list of all dry hydrant locations;
  • annually practicing tanker shuttles for securing a water supply in all rural fire districts;
  • validating, in 2022 by the Fire Underwriters (FUS), Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency’s tanker and shuttle certification;
  • wildfire risk mapping to identify which communities are at the great risk due to a wildfire;
  • conducting public education and critical inventory assessments in the WUI;
  • training additional FireSmart assessors and conducting requested FireSmart assessments as resources allow;
  • increased training, equipment, and tactics for structural firefighters to address wildfires; and
  • purchasing new equipment specifically to mitigate wildland fire risks.