The aftermath: 1 year after historic Halifax wildfire changed a community forever

On May 27, 2023, a wildfire broke out in the Halifax suburb of Upper Tantallon. The blaze destroyed 151 homes and forced more than 16,000 residents to flee the area.

Blackened trees, damaged grass, and empty land where homes once stood are still visible in a Halifax-area neighbourhood that was devastated by a historic wildfire that upended the lives of thousands one year ago.

On May 28, 2023, a wildfire broke out in the community of Upper Tantallon amid a large swath of suburban neighbourhoods surrounded by woodlands. That fire burned 969 hectares, destroyed 151 homes, and forced more than 16,000 residents to flee the area.

Another fire broke out in the neighbouring community of Hammonds Plains during the same period.

Jenny Saulnier said she was at home with her dog, Wesley, when flames started to creep into her backyard. She said she packed everything she could fit into two duffle bags before fleeing.

“I immediately felt like I needed to run for my life because of how raging it looked in the back. It was flying higher than the trees back here. It was insane. I started running and packing things,” she said.

“It was like a scene from a horror movie.”

Meanwhile in southwestern Nova Scotia, another wildfire was burning out of control and spreading across the southwestern tip of the province. The Barrington Lake fire, which broke out on May 26, burned through 23,379 hectares and took about two months to fully extinguish — solidifying itself as the largest-ever wildfire in the province’s history.

The fire forced more than 6,000 people from their homes and destroyed 60 houses and cottages, as well as 50 other structures. In January, a 22-year-old man from Shelburne County, N.S., was charged in connection with the massive wildfire and has since pled not guilty.