Halifax council reviews wildfire response, plans Westwood Hills emergency road
Halifax regional council passed a vote to proceed with planning an emergency road for Westwood Hills.
On Tuesday, HRM councillors heard a presentation about lessons learned after the wildfires in Upper Tantallon last spring.
The wildfires started May 28, 151 homes were destroyed and 16,000 people were forced to evacuate. The evacuation was criticized after residents were caught in long lines of traffic due to lack of exits.
The report recommends council approves a plan for a new emergency-only route from Westwood Hills subdivision to Highway 103
“I think we kind of already knew that this could potentially happen,” said Coun. Pam Lovelace.
The report shows that the Emergency Management Office was underfunded and under-resourced, Lovelace said.
Coun. Lisa Blackburn said the Beaver Bank community has been flagged by the provincial government as being an extreme risk for wildfire.
Council is expecting reports from the city’s fire department and the provincial government.
