As residents of several beleaguered Conception Bay North communities evacuate for a third time this summer, one mayor says repeated wildfires over the last several weeks are raising suspicion.
“It’s just the circumstances, the timing of all the fires. They’re all very similar,” Small Point-Adam’s Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove Mayor Curtis Delaney told CBC News on Monday.
“Every one of these fires has suspicious circumstances. It’s not natural. It’s not lightning.”
Delaney said the community’s fire department has responded to at least nine fires since May. Police are investigating.
“If you stack them up side by side, they’re all almost cookie cutter, so that’s what makes them definitely suspicious. And the area. It’s confined within our town for the most part,” he said.
The Department of Public Safety ordered residents of the rural Newfoundland town, as well as residents of nearby Kingston, to evacuate on Monday afternoon as a wildfire burns about one kilometre away.
Since Monday morning, the fire has grown six times in size.
Department spokesperson Eric Humber said in a statement that residents should be prepared for at least 72 hours with food, water, batteries, a portable radio, important documents and prescription medications.
“Residents should always have a basic emergency kit available,” Humber said.
A reception centre has been set up at Persalvic School Complex in Victoria for evacuees.
“Water bombers, helicopters and ground crews are actioning the fire with support from volunteer fire departments. Officials are watching the fire behaviour very closely.” said the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture in a social media post issued around 10 a.m. NT on Monday.
The approximate size of the wildfire is currently 156 hectares, according to the department.
The department is asking residents to pay attention to government channels for updates.
Around midnight, the provincial government issued an evacuation alert, asking the communities from Kingston to Adam’s Cove and Broad Cove to be ready to evacuate if the call was made.
Two water bombers, a helicopter and crews responded to the fire burning near Kingston on Sunday evening, and estimated the fire was approximately 25 hectares in size at the time.
The province added suppression efforts would resume Monday morning.
On the Facebook page for the town of Small Point-Adam’s Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove, residents were also urged to be ready to flee and keep the roads clear so emergency crews in the area could travel efficiently.
WATCH | Waterbombers are becoming a fixture in a community on the Avalon as another fire rages:
It also said Route 70 near Kingston has been temporarily closed.
According to the provincial wildfire map, the out-of-control fire broke out on Sunday.
The province also lists the area on its fire hazard map as having an extreme risk of fire.
Meteorologist Robert Grove told CBC there are “gusty” southwest winds and conditions will be dry along the coast, and that’s “not ideal” for firefighting.
“But the winds should taper off and switch directions tonight, so hopefully that will be a little bit of help,” said Grove.
Multiple wildfires have put the Conception Bay North community on edge in recent months.
In May, a large fire ravaged the community of Adam’s Cove, forcing residents to evacuate and destroying 12 homes and 45 other structures.
Resident Marie Kennell, who started preparing food for firefighters and rescue crews early on Monday, has been in Small Point for 47 years.
Kennell told CBC News the fires are becoming too common.
“It’s happening too often in our communities. Everyone around here are really upset over it, and there’s nothing being done, right now,” Kennell said.
“If there’s someone starting them, I think they should be caught by now.”
Georgia Slade, who works at the Small Point General Store, said she found out about the evacuation alert around 1 a.m. and she was already awake because her father, a firefighter, was helping fight the Kingston fire.
Her first reaction to the alert was to grab important documents, like her passport, as well as things that have personal significance.
“At this point we all kind of know what’s important to bring and what’s not important to bring. And everyone’s just kind of on edge now, at this point,” she told CBC News Monday morning, before the province issued its evacuation order.
People were already dropping by the general store to get gas for their vehicles so they could be ready to leave, she added.
“Everyone has a little bit of panic in them but at the same time we’re like, ‘OK, if we freak out it’s just going to make matters worse.’ Everyone just does what they can,” said Slade.
Hot and dry weather conditions continue across most of the province.
In central Newfoundland, the Town of Gander announced it was cancelling its Gander Day fireworks because of the very high risk of wildfires in the area.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
