A wildfire burning near Holyrood, N.L., has forced the closure of a part of Route 60 — a main road that runs through the middle of the community — and is forcing some residents to evacuate, including in neighbouring Conception Bay South.
In a statement on Facebook, the RCMP said the closure begins at Beaumont Place in Holyrood and runs to the bridge at the entrance the town on the C.B.S. side.
Residents from Beaumont Place to the bridge, including all side roads, are being told to evacuate immediately, the town wrote in its post on Facebook.
Dozens are gathering near the town’s thermal generating station, watching from their parked vehicles as water bombers continue to fight the blaze.
Some are walking between vehicles to chat and catch up. The fire, according to the province’s wildfire map, is about 20 hectares in size and is considered out of control.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro’s director of public affairs, Deanne Fisher, told CBC News all non-essential personnel have been evacuated from the Holyrood Thermal Generating Station.
Fisher said the site is secured, and all normal activity at the plant has ceased. Some emergency response personnel remain on site to monitor the plant.
Fisher said the plant was not running on Monday because of annual summer maintenance.
Wildfire near Holyrood forces evacuation for some residents
Tony Power, a resident of Holyrood, told CBC Radio’s On The Go he’s out of the dangerous area for now, but is packing some items with his wife in the event they might have to leave.
“The southwest wind is taking it away from where we’re to,” Power said.
“The [water] bombers are just load-and-go there.”
The size of the fire is unclear, but Power said it’s his understanding that it might have jumped the road to the Butter Pot Provincial Park side.
Shelter is available at the C.B.S. arena.
Shortly before 6 p.m. NT, C.B.S. Mayor Darrin Bent told CBC News the town is issuing a “cautionary notice” for residents in west of Seal Cove Road, meaning they should be ready to evacuate if the town needs to make that decision.
In an update on social media shortly before 7 p.m. NT, the town issued an evacuation order for the area from 1820 Conception Bay Highway to the western boundary of the community.
Residents from 1375 Conception Bay Highway to 1820 Conception Bay Highway, including all roads in between, are asked to prepare to evacuate should it become necessary.
“This is an evolving situation with this fire, we’re monitoring it very closely and we just want to be ready and let people know that they may be asked to leave their homes at some point if it continues and progresses our way,” Bent said.
Resident Sherry Stringer was in Kelligrews to watch the water bombers with her daughter, Jada. That area of C.B.S. hasn’t been evacuated, but Stringer said it’s still a scary feeling as the wildfire burns out of control nearby.
“A lot of people are nervous,” she said. “It’s scary. Very scary. It’s where it’s so dry, I guess. We’ve had no rain … and it’s been very, very hot.”
Meanwhile, St. John’s Regional Fire Department is advising residents in the St. John’s area the smoke from the fire may affect the air quality east of the fire.
“We recommend that residents turn off air exchangers and HVAC units to help reduce indoor smoke exposure,” the statement reads.
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