Halifax-area evacuees visit destroyed homes for first time as wildfire burns for 5th day

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Residentswhose homes have beendamaged or destroyed in a wildfire that continues to burn outside Halifax were given the chance to see their properties Friday onbus tours of the charred landscape.

In an email sent to the affectedresidents by the Halifax Regional Municipality's emergency management office shortly after 8 p.m. AT Thursday, officials said the tour of some 200 homes would leave from the Canada Games Centre in Halifax at 11 a.m.

"Unfortunately, you will not be able to leave the bus to walk around your property," it said.

The email, which was provided to CBC News by a resident who lost their home, said staff would be on hand at the Canada Games Centre after the tour to answer questions and offer support.

Viewing the damage

Halifax-area homeowners take bus tour through properties ravaged by wildfire

1 year ago

Duration 0:44

People whose homes have been damaged in a wildfire outside of Halifax were given the chance to see their properties on Friday. Jason and Mary Young, whose home in the Highland Park area was completely destroyed, took part in a bus tour through the burned out community.

Dozens of people gathered at the Canada Games Centre on Friday to take part in the tour on city buses.

Speaking to reporters after the two-hour drive through their neighbourhood, Mary and Jason Young from Highland Park said they had already seen that their home was destroyed on video but it was important for them to see it in person.

"It's one thing to see it on a screen but it's another to see it in real life right in front of you," Mary Young said.

"It helps you move on. It helps you make it real and deal with it. It really is like you're grieving."

Jason Young said it was a difficultexperience but it was better that they went as a group withneighbours.

Young said he and his family got out in time with their pets but it was heartbreaking that many people were not so fortunate andlost pets.

Claude Langloislost his homeon Kata Court in the Highland Park subdivision.

Speaking before the tour,he said hewas not home when the blazebroke out mid-Sunday afternoon in nearbyWestwood Hills subdivision roughly 25 kilometres outside Halifax and could not get back in time to retrieve hisdouble-doodle dog named Bear.

Some N.S. fire evacuees to tour damaged neighbourhoods

1 year ago

Duration 2:53

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage says some people will be allowed to view their fire-damaged neighbourhoods in a bus tour, but there will be precautions, as it's "still an active fire zone."

He was informed by police on Monday morning that his house had burnedto the ground, and that Bear waslikely dead.

Langlois said he'dseen videos of the rubble, so he knewwhat to expect, but he thinks seeing his house in person would help with the grieving process.

"Everything thatmakes it more real, it helps with the grief of it all," saidLanglois, who is staying at a hotel in Halifax.

Still, he has not been happy with the communication from the municipality during this trying time.

"They were not there for us," he said.

Bill Moore, the municipality's executive director of community safety, said during a press conference Friday that residents had voicedconcernsabout how they were informed a massemail about how they would see their homes for the first time since the evacuation.

Moore said they hadstill not been able to contact 65 of the affected residents. He said it was decided an email was the best form of communicationin the hopes that if some residents who have not yet been contacted saw it, they could join the tour.

"We thought it would be potentially worse thanif they found out that they didn't get a call and then they found out that they didn't have an opportunity to go to the scene," said Moore, adding that the email did generate some replies and staff are following up.

"We regret the fact that caused any morepain to those who have already been affected, but ...I give you my word that we will do our very best to try to keep people up to date."

Someresidents allowed to return

Some residents who had to leave their homes because of the wildfire have been given the green light to go back.

Just after 4 p.m. Friday, an emergency alert stated the evacuation order was rescinded fortheLucasvilleRoad area, a section south of Hammonds Plains Road around St. George Boulevard, and theStillwaterLake area south of Pine Tree Crescent.