Eastern Canada's Halifax declares emergency over wildfire
Large plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire raging in the Upper Tantallon area, as seen from Hubley, Nova Scotia, Canada on May 28 in this screen grab from a social media video.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONMay 29, 2023 9:03 AM
The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday (May 28) after a wildfire caused evacuations and power outages.
"Emergency responders are working around the clock to keep people safe and reduce the threats posed by the fires," the municipal authority in the capital of Nova Scotia province said in a press release.
The fire sent a huge pall of smoke over the port city.
The state of emergency would be in effect for seven days, unless lifted or extended, the municipality said.
Nova Scotia Power had temporarily disconnected power in the affected area, it said on Twitter.
Telecommunications firms including Rogers and Bell Canada's Bell Aliant said in posts on Twitter that some customers in communities evacuated due to wildfires may experience services disruption.
This month, the western province of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency after tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes as unprecedented wildfires raged.
ALSO READ: Alberta declares state of emergency over wildfires