The rapid growth of a long-burning wildfire in central Newfoundland has prompted a regional state of emergency and the extension of an open fire ban across the province.
Premier Andrew Fury told reporters Sunday that the state of emergency had been declared the night before in the Grand Falls-Windsor, Bishops Falls and Conegre Peninsula areas “not to create panic” but to ensure residents and officials were prepared to react if the situation worsens further.
“In the last 36 hours, things have changed,” Fury told a news conference alongside Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Derrick Bragg and Department of Natural Resources Commander Craig Coady.
“We predicted we could handle it. However, with the wind changing, we fear there will be a significant smoke impact.”
Furey said the current forecast path of the fire itself is not directly affecting communities, but changing wind patterns are making the situation difficult to manage.
He said that prompted him to ask Public Safety Minister John Hogan to declare a state of emergency and urged some nearby communities to prepare for a possible evacuation.
“This is a dynamic, evolving situation like all fires, but we can’t wait until the last minute, we have to act now,” Fury said.
The fire burned for nearly two weeks in central Newfoundland and caused road closures, including the Bay d’Espoir Highway, the only road connecting the communities of Harbor Breton, Hermitage and Conne River to the Trans-Canada Highway, the main thoroughfare through the province.
Coady said wildfires will most likely continue to burn out of control due to weather conditions.
“In the last few days we have seen extreme fire behavior,” he told the news conference. “We expect that to continue today and possibly for the next few days.” This is due to the strong winds and low humidity.”
Coady and Furey said smoke posed the most significant risk to nearby communities, adding that winds also made it difficult for firefighters to control the blazes.
“If the (water) bombers can’t see in front of the fire and it’s too smoky, it’s not safe for them to operate,” Coady said.
Overall, the province is using water bombers — two from Quebec, in addition to the province assisting with a bird-dog aircraft — and helicopters to fight the fires.
In a video posted on social media Saturday night, Fury described a fire as the largest in the province since 1961. As of Sunday, the provincial government reported four active fires covering about 10,800 hectares.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair tweeted that he had approved Newfoundland’s request for government assistance and Canadian Armed Forces personnel would be deployed to assist provincial and municipal officials in evacuation efforts.
Fury said he has asked the Central Health Region to create an evacuation plan for hospitals, long-term care homes and personal care homes.
“We strongly advise all citizens in the mentioned areas to be on high alert for possible future evacuations,” the Prime Minister said.
The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture tweeted Sunday morning that the Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army will provide emergency services to those stranded on the Trans-Canada Highway as a result of the closure of the Bay d’Espoir Highway.
Meanwhile, Bragg urged residents to be “fire smart.”
The department said the ban on open fires, which was extended across the province on Sunday, prohibits fires on or within 300 meters of forests.
“Last night I saw two people throwing punches and I thought it was crazy,” Bragg said. “It’s reckless and we don’t need it.
“You can have a barbecue, but don’t and I can’t say it’s loud enough, if you’re out in a wooded area, don’t light any open fires.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 7, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of Meta and the Canadian Press News Fellowship.
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