Out of control fire still burning near Churchill Falls
An out of control wildfire east of Churchill Falls continues to burn.
As of Friday morning, the Newfoundland and Labrador active wildfire dashboard shows the fire located near Churchill Falls is estimated to be roughly 170 hectares — the same size recorded on Thursday.
The provincial fire rating hazard map ranks many parts of the province as at high, very high and extreme risk for wildfires.
Environment Canada forecasts rain over the course of Friday and the following several days.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Forestry Minister Lisa Dempster said two fires near Churchill Fires merged into one, which is actively burning one kilometre east of Churchill Falls on the north side of the Trans-Labrador Highway.
Forestry officials say winds are blowing the fire away from the community, leaving a smouldering ground fire which allows crews to get water on hot spots further into the woods.
Second fire burning
A second fire also ignited in western Labrador on Thursday in the area of Faden Siding by the Menihek Lakes. As of Friday morning, the provincial wildfire map calculates its area at an estimated 1,875 hectares.
Craig Coady, the forestry department's wildfire program director, said they are currently monitoring the fire.
"The good thing about the location of that fire, at the moment right now, is that there aren't any values at risk," Coady told CBC News on Thursday evening.
"So there isn't any significant infrastructure — homes, cabins, you know, those types of things — in that area. So right now we're not too concerned with that fire."
There is a fire burning on Newfoundland's west coast but it is under control.
Need resources
Wabush Mayor Ron Barron said he's worried about a lack of fire fighting resources in the region, something he's seen dwindle over the years.
"I have to stress as a community leader, in the past we've had resources here on the ground. You know, just the local forestry department had, I think, five full-time people," he told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning on Thursday.
He said it's now down to two people in the area.
Barron said a water bomber was stationed at the Wabush airport for 30 years, which is no longer the case.
Last year Wabush was on stand-by when Labrador City was evacuated due to wildfires.
"Fires are unpredictable. We've seen that here in 2013. We've seen it again here in 2024," said Barron.
"The only thing that puts fires out is boots on the ground and resources in the air to help combat those fires. You can have all the signs you want but Mother Nature don't comply with that, sometimes, and she does her own thing."
Since Thursday the town has been under a boil water advisory.
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