No charges to be laid in 2023 Hammonds Plains, N.S., wildfires after two-year investigation

It has been two years since the beginning of the devastating wildfires in Nova Scotia.

After a two-year investigation, Nova Scotia has run out of time to lay any charges for the 2023 Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains wildfires under the Forests Act.

Under that act, the Department of Natural Resources has two years from the date of an offence to lay charges.

In a news release, the province says charges are only laid if there is enough evidence to secure a conviction.

“There is a high bar for what can be used as evidence in court,” the release reads.

People convicted for Forests Act violations can be fined up to $500,000 and/or face up to six months in prison.

The Department of Natural Resources previously said it had exhausted all leads in its investigation last August.

The wildfire, which officially started on May 28, 2023, displaced more than 16,000 residents and burned 969 hectares. It lasted for several days and destroyed 151 homes.

“It took a lot”

Terri Kottwitz lost everything in the Hammonds Plains wildfire.

Her business, ForestKids Early Learning, which she opened in 2003, burned to the ground along with her home – although it took days to find out.

“We learned through friends and Facebook that the centre was gone, and our house was gone,” she said.

On the second anniversary of when the wildfire began, Kottwitz is reflecting.

“Our house is rebuilt, the centre is rebuilt, but my personal self is not rebuilt, and I doubt that it will be. It took a lot.”

The early learning centre held its grand reopening at the end of March. It’s now operating as a non-profit organization.

2025 wildfire season

As those, including Kottwitz, reflect on the anniversary of the devastating fire, it’s also a time to look ahead to what this season may bring.

“We had lots of rain. We’re in a good position, and usually the peak of fire season is mid-May to mid-June,” said Kara McCurdy, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency (HRFE) Wildfire Mitigation program manager.

“We can still have bad fires come late season. So, the big difference now is it’s a fast-moving fire. It’s not going to burn deep into the ground. It’s a little easier to put out, whereas in August it’ll be a deeper burning fire a little more difficult for firefighters to put out.”

Since 2023, HRFE has made changes to better prepare for wildfire season.

“A lot of things came out such as beefing up equipment and resources and firefighter training to personal protective equipment but also preparing the communities for kind of an all-hazard approach,” said McCurdy.

Looking to the future

While the day-to-day is back to normal at ForestKids, there are still signs and lessons from the wildfire.

“The outdoor classroom did not burn. Burnt all around it, but not even the plastic or the canvas was touched in that outdoor classroom,” said Kottwitz.

“The children are still able to go to the woods. They walk through the burnt woods, they see the new trees growing that were planted for us last year, so there’s a lot of learning going on.”

Kottwitz said the centre is now facing a new hurdle: funding the remaining costs of the building. She said she was under the impression the final $267,000 would be provided, but she found out Tuesday that is not the case.

“We’re in a little bit of a predicament, but we came out of the fire. We’ll come out of this.”

She said the centre plans to host some fundraisers to come up with the remaining balance.

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