A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for a rural area to the east of Halifax after a wildfire exploded in size, forcing residents on Canada's east coast to flee their homes. The blaze, known as the Mooseland Road wildfire, has been burning in Halifax County, where images showed flames and heavy smoke rising over the landscape as officials worked to move people out of its path.
The order came suddenly. Officials issued the evacuation the night before, telling people in the affected area to leave right away rather than wait, a measure of how quickly the fire had grown and how seriously authorities were treating the threat to homes and properties. The urgency of the message left little room for residents to prepare before getting out of the danger zone.
Provincial officials said the fire began on Wednesday. In the days that followed, dry and hot conditions helped fuel its spread, turning a smaller blaze into a fast-moving wildfire that outpaced early efforts to bring it under control. The same heat and dryness affecting much of the country this summer created the conditions for the fire to grow explosively across the area.
For those in the fire's path, the escape was harrowing. One resident described the moment the danger became real, recalling that the clouds got dark and were moving fast in what she called one of the most frightening things she had ever seen. She said her mother called and told her to get ready and leave now, urging her not to panic and to head for the beach and wait for the situation to become clearer.
In the rush to get out, she grabbed what she could. She said she wet a towel and took her two small dogs, a pair of chihuahuas, and managed to pack up an Xbox before leaving, then waited for about 20 minutes as events unfolded around her. Her account captured the mix of fear and improvisation that came with fleeing a fast-moving fire on short notice.
The Mooseland Road fire is one of several burning across Canada, with out-of-control blazes and thick smoke affecting communities in Nova Scotia, Ontario and British Columbia. In the west, wildfires have forced people from their homes near the British Columbia towns of Pemberton and Boston Bar, part of a wildfire season that has stretched firefighting resources across multiple provinces at the same time.
Ontario has appealed for federal assistance, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to help, saying the federal government would stand ready and provide additional assistance as needed. As crews contend with difficult conditions, officials have warned that the smoke and fire threat could persist for another couple of days, leaving evacuated residents waiting for word on when it might be safe to return home.