A firefighter works to contain the Bay D’Espoir Highway fire, which has been burning in central Newfoundland since Sunday, July 24, 2022. It is 10 percent contained, according to officials. (Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture/Twitter)
Forestry officials warned cabin owners around Paradise Lake in central Newfoundland to evacuate Saturday as the risk of a wildfire spreading to the area increases as hot and windy weather is expected Sunday.
Jeff Motti, the on-call provincial wildfire officer, says so far no cabins or structures have been lost to the fire.
“Our efforts so far have been focused on protecting these structures,” Moti said.
“We want to make sure the cabin owners aren’t there, because when things get bad, they get bad very quickly … I mean, the fire can jump up, hit the legs and be gone.”
The warning comes ahead of Sunday’s weather forecast for central Newfoundland. This requires high temperatures and wind speeds that can cause new fires and the spread of existing wildfires.
Forest roads near the Paradise Lake and Bay d’Espoir fires are also closed, but Route 360 - known as the Bay d’Espoir Highway – remains open.
1/3: The forecast for the Central region calls for sustained high temperatures and strong winds from Sunday. Please be aware of the potential for current wildfires to spread and new fires to start. pic.twitter.com/cX3ihLv2yX
—@FFA_GovNL
In an update provided Saturday morning, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture also advised residents and travelers in the area to be prepared for hot weather and have an emergency plan.
The department lists five active wildfires in the province – Deer Pond, two near Newton Lake, one near Bay d’Espoir Highway and Paradise Lake.
All fires, with the exception of Paradise Lake, are listed as varying degrees of containment.
Paradise Lake remains out of control and three water bombers have been assigned to it, along with 14 workers from the Gander Forest Protection Center.
“I can’t emphasize enough the work that air services do between the water bomber pilots and the ground crews and the dispatcher and all of their management staff to be prepared to respond,” Moti said.
The Bay d’Espoir highway was open to traffic on Monday evening. According to Moti, the fire there is already 10 percent contained.
Charred trees and vegetation line parts of the Bay D’Espoir Highway after a large wildfire swept through the area, closing the highway. (Submitted by Alicia Jo)
Motti says there are two helicopters, 38 firefighters and eight firefighting units sent to the blaze on Saturday to battle the blaze, which is estimated to be 1,035 hectares, or more than 2,500 football pitches.
“They’re making really good progress at this location,” Moti said, adding that five milliliters of rain Friday night helped crews.
Motti applauded the hard work of all the emergency services involved.
“There are people in Labrador who came to the fire and helped fight that fire. So it is a total effort of the province,” Moti said.
“Logistically, this is a very complex incident.
As of Saturday morning, a total of 61 wildfires had been recorded in the province so far in 2022, burning a total of 2,714 hectares.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
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