The town of Musgrave Harbour in Newfoundland and Labrador has been ordered to evacuate with a wildfire now only 1 kilometer away from the community.
The evacuation order also includes Banting Memorial Park Campground, close to the town.
All four of the province’s active water bombers are now attacking the blaze which is steadily moving toward the town due to the prevailing winds.
In a provincial update provided at noon Sunday, Jamie Chippett, Deputy Minister of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, said that when the fire was detected at 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening it was 8 kilometres from the community. Now it is only 1 kilometer away.
“It is at a very high rank, a rank 5 in technical terms, [that means it’s] ‘very active.’ The community would be seeing lots of smoke,” said Chippett. “We do have weather conditions with a wind that is 40 gusting to 50 west-southwest, which unfortunately puts the community directly in the line of the fire.”
Chippett said as of yet they don’t have an estimate on the size of the fire because of smokey conditions, but they do know it is “within the hundreds of hectares.”
Minister of Justice and Public Safety John Haggie called it “a significant and serious issue.”
He reiterated that the province-wide fire ban remains in effect, and also asked that any drones be kept clear of the area, as they would prevent water bombers from flying in the area.
The province advises residents to monitor official channels for updates.
Musgrave Harbour evacuees are being advised to go to a reception centre in Gander at the Steele Memorial Centre on 155 Airport Boulevard. The Canadian Red Cross will also be there to assist.
Haggie asked that everyone affected by the evacuation order call 709-727-0921 to register, even if they are not intending to use the centre or the Red Cross services provided in Gander.
Residents attempting to leave the region without vehicles can go to the Musgrave Harbour fire department to avail of busing transportation, and to be brought to Gander, says Town Clerk Amber Littlejohn.
Littlejohn is also asking that residents drive safely, and tell friends and family where they are.
She also told CBC that the community is currently “drenched with smoke.”
The town fire department was on scene fighting the fire all night, said Littlejohn, who added that while they couldn’t see the fire from the town, she could see the crews working to fight it.
“We have a water bomber going back and forth. He’s picking up water from a designated area in the ocean there, off our beach,” she said.
Meanwhile, Musgrave Harbour’s town council has also declared a state of emergency, according to a letter released on social media.
The letter states that the council has determined that the wildfire poses a serious safety risk to residents and property within the town.
Meanwhile the air quality warning on the Bonavista peninsula due to the fire near Chance Harbour has been lifted.
As of Saturday, that fire had grown to over 1,660 hectares and was still considered out of control.
Provincial Fire Duty Officer Wesley Morgan says the wind has been helping keep the fire away from the nearby towns of Jamestown and Winter Brook.
However it is still very much considered an active fire.
In the 11:00 a.m. update, the forestry department said that Chance Harbour residents can expect to see significant smoke from the southern end of the fire.
Three helicopters will also continue to work the fire throughout the day, and ground crews will be deployed once it is safe to do so.
Ground crews are also still working on the wildfires at Nine Island Pond and Northwest Brook.
A fire ban is also still in place across the entire province today. The province is reminding residents that open fires are still not permitted.
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