Nova Scotia wildfires: Ottawa ready to assist as blaze burns near Halifax

Justin Trudeau said in a tweet Monday.“We’re keeping everyone affected in our thoughts, and we’re thanking those who are working hard to keep people safe.”The wildfire situation in Nova Scotia is incredibly serious – and we stand ready to provide any federal support and assistance needed.

We’re keeping everyone affected in our thoughts, and we’re thanking those who are working hard to keep people safe.— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 29, 2023A total of 13 active wildfires were burning in the province as of Monday morning.In the Halifax region, a local state of emergency has been declared because of the blaze that started Sunday afternoon in Tantallon.The exurban community is roughly a 30-minute drive northwest of downtown Halifax.Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said in a tweet Sunday that the federal government was following the wildfires in Nova Scotia “closely” and stands “ready to help if federal assistance is required.”“We have been in touch with Nova Scotia and our officials at the Government Operations Centre are engaging with provincial officials,” a spokesperson for Blair told Global News Monday.“Should the province request federal assistance, we will work with them to identify and mobilize the federal resources that meet the needs they outline.”In an update Monday morning, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum told reporters that the fire burning in the Tantallon and Hammonds Plains area is “ongoing and still not under control.”He said firefighters were called to the Westwood subdivision of Tantallon, around 3:30 p.m.