Nova Scotians urged to prepare for wildfires in wake for Fort McMurray tragedy

The co-ordinator of Halifax's Emergency Management Organizationhopesthe tragedy unfolding in Fort McMurray will encourage Nova Scotians to take the threat of wildfires seriously and to plan for them.

"It can happen here. It has happened here," Barry Manuel told CBC News, referring to 2009, when 1,200 people fled their homes near Purcells Cove Roadas fire tore through their community, destroying eight houses.

• PHOTOGALLERY: 2009 Halifax wildfire

The threat is still real, and Natural Resources Minister Lloyd Hines said the possibility of fires keeps him awake at night.

"This period of the year, April, May and up to the middle of June is really when we're on pins and needles," he said.

He estimates there's been a couple hundred wildfires in Nova Scotia this year, includingdozens last weekin Shelburne, Yarmouth, Lunenburg and Queens counties. There were another 20 in Cape Breton.

"We've had a significantly higher number of wildfires this year than we had last year at this time," he said.

Province is prepared

Hines said the province is well equipped to deal with wildfires. It hasfourhelicopters and agroup of specially trained firefighters.

"They know what the responses are to wildfire. They're mobile. They're ready to go. This is what they train for," he said, adding there is co-ordination with volunteer fire departments and professional firefighters in Halifax.

The minister responsible for Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office, Zach Churchill, says Nova Scotiais prepared for "any hazard event," and has mutual-aid agreements with all other provinces.

"We do feel well covered by the resources we have here but also by that mutual-aid agreement we have in place," he said .

Emergency kits important

As for individual preparation, Manuel urges people to take three steps. He said people need to know the risk, have a plan and have an emergency kit ready to go.

The kit should include cash, cellphone and charger, copies of important papers and phone numbers, medications,water, flashlights and batteries, and a first aid kit.

"This is not a terribly expensive thing to have in your house, but if you need it and don't have it you're in worse condition that if you have it and don't need it," he said.