Halifax declares state of emergency as wildfire causes evacuations

The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a local emergency late on Sunday after a wildfire caused evacuations and power outages.

Large plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire raging in the Upper Tantallon area, as seen from Hubley, Nova Scotia, Canada May 28, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Ben Britton/via REUTERS

Published on:

29 May 2023, 9:12 am

(Reuters) - The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday 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 ball of smoke over the port city.

The state of emergency would be in effect for seven days, unless lifted or extended, the municipality said.

Smoke rises from a wildfire, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 28, 2023 in this still image obtained from social media video. Meenakshi Guchhait/via REUTERS

Canadian wireless giant Rogers Communications Inc said 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.

(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina and Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)