Halifax-area wildfire 85% contained and not expected to spread, officials say
CBC
If the power or data on your device is low, get your wildfire updates on CBC Lite. It's our low-bandwidth, text-only website.
A wildfire burning northwest of Halifax is now 85 per cent contained, as Nova Scotia is getting much-needed rain Saturday.
Dave Steeves, a technician of forest resources with the Department of Natural Resources, said the fire hasn't grown and is still about 950 hectares in size.
"We have changed from 'out of control' to a state of being held," Steeves said during a media briefing early Saturday.
He said that means the fire is not likely to spread.
"The rain that we are getting now is going to help the suppression issues, but that being said this fire is not out and it will not be declared out for some time."
Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum said crews are grateful for the light rain.
"This is excellent, this is not a heavy downpour that runs off and disappears," he said. "This will soak into the ground more effectively."
But he said days or rain are needed "to assist our firefighting efforts," he said.
The rain brings a risk for firefighters going through brush to locate hotspots. Meldrum said slips and falls are possible and there will be an adjustment to cooler conditions after days of intense heat.
"It's amazing how things change," he said. "They welcome the rain, but now today, they face additional hazards," he said.
Some residents who had been evacuated from the area were allowed to return home on Friday, including those on Lucasville Road, St. George Boulevard and in the Stillwater Lake area.
Meldrum said he doesn't anticipate any other evacuation orders to be lifted on Saturday.
"I just ask our residents to please be patient," he said. "We know you're not in your home. You want to be in your home. We're working as fast as we can. We're going to make sure that when you come home you have a safe, livable community to return to."
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation had a 24 per cent increase in thefts across all retail stores in the province during the first quarter of 2025, according to numbers provided by the Crown corporation.
Nine years old might seem too early to retire but for Marielle the poodle — New Brunswick's first court service dog — that's 63 in human years.
Toronto police are investigating after Jewish prayer scrolls were removed from three condos in North York on Thursday.
Scott Gillingham is entering an election year. Wab Kinew has another full year to prove he can govern effectively before he faces voters as well.
A 23-year-old single mother from Prince Albert says she has been living in pain from her wisdom teeth for more than three years.
Doreen Freeland used to be what's known as a “land girl” in Britain during the Second World War. She was one of thousands of women recruited to work in orchards and on farms to help keep food production going while men went off to fight.
According to McMaster researchers on aging, walking speed could be considered a vital sign of sorts for seniors.
The Windsor Public Library’s most-borrowed books of 2025 reflect the growing popularity of celebrity book clubs and a growing interest in “romantacy,” according to one public service librarian there.
An election, a Blue Jays World Series run and a plane crash.
Summer clothes. Shoes for children. Baby diapers.
For Islanders looking to get outside more this winter, trail groups say the colder months are actually one of the best times of year to explore Prince Edward Island’s outdoor spaces.
Updates to the air passenger bill of rights appear stuck on the tarmac more than two years after the federal government promised changes — something that may come as unwelcome news for Canadian air travellers facing their own delays.
This First Person article is the experience of Kristine Thoreson, who lives in Calgary. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.