Firefighters faced a grueling uphill battle against wildfires in Canada's Nova Scotia province, including one threatening suburbs of Halifax. Federal help was coming, officials said, along with firefighters from the United States. "We're in a crisis in the province and we want and we need and we will take all the support we can get," Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told a news conference. "These fires are unprecedented." Already, additional kit have been shipped in from Ontario, and a dozen water bombers from neighboring regions and the Coast Guard joined efforts to douse the flames and assist with evacuations. Houston said he has also asked for the military to help out.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the wildfires "heartbreaking," and vowed unlimited support. As of Wednesday, 14 wildfires were burning in Nova Scotia, including three out of control. They've so far destroyed or damaged more than 200 homes and other structures including a wooden bridge, but no injuries have been reported. One couple described to public broadcaster CBC having lost both their home and their childcare business. "That's my life," a tearful Terri Kottwitz said. Others said they saw trees on fire in their backyard as they fled with just a moment's notice.

Evacuee Janis Churchill-Moher told CBC that she didn't know if her home in the picturesque rural south of the province was still standing. "Our neighbors have working farms and they just had to pack up their kids, pack up as many animals as fast as they could and run," she said. More than 2,000 residents of the area were ordered to evacuate earlier in the week as fires swept through the area. "It's a devastating situation for everybody," she said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan: INP