Communication issues had 'detrimental impact' on response to Halifax-area wildfire: report

A breakdown in communication had a "detrimental impact" on the initial response to the Halifax-area wildfire in May, according to a new report released by the city.

The report, titled Upper Tantallon Wildfire Lessons Learned, will be presented to Halifax regional council on Tuesday. 

The wildfire started in a backyard in the Westwood Hills neighbourhood on May 28. It led to evacuation orders for about 16,400 residents — stretching from Upper Tantallon to the Lower Sackville area — and destroyed 151 homes.

The report identified several issues as different levels of government and emergency responders tried to co-ordinate a response as the fire quickly grew out of control.

Halifax's municipal emergency plan has not kept up with the growth of the city, the report said. It was approved by council in 2017 and to be reassessed every three years. It was last reviewed in 2018.

"It's clear to me, and I think to the majority of … the public and anyone who reads this report, that community safety hasn't been taken seriously. It has been underfunded," said Coun. Pam Lovelace, who represents Upper Tantallon. 

"The absence of fire mitigation measures and dry hydrants may have exacerbated the crisis," the report said.

It said the lack of evacuation routes led to some residents being trapped behind fire lines.
 
As chaos unfolded, the report said confusion behind the scenes was compounding the challenges faced by residents.

Inconsistent communication

Halifax uses the Canadian Incident Command System, which is designed to provide a co-ordinated response to major emergencies.

But the report said the system was not initially followed.

"This led to inconsistent lines of communication, responsibilities, quality assurance, and approval processes, which caused lengthened timelines for responding to tasks, duplicate or contradicting directions, and confusion," it said.

The report said information was being shared from multiple sources without being verified, which "caused greater confusion and contributed to frustration for staff, community, and elected officials."

There were also issues with equipment and records management that caused delays, according to the report.

Recommendations and other reports

The report made nearly 50 recommendations covering areas such as technology, evacuation and mitigation.

This included implementing mandatory access to a water supply, not allowing residential developments without sufficient access and exit options, and increasing emergency management staff.

The municipality's emergency management department needs significantly more resources to deal with large-scale emergencies, the report said. 

The Nova Scotia government and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency are also preparing reports on the wildfire response.

Lovelace believes once those other documents are available the municipality will be able to make decisions on what changes need to be made.