Wildfire burning near Badger, Churchill Falls fire being held
A wildfire has started near the Newfoundland community of Badger following a lightning storm in the area Tuesday afternoon.
Craig Coady, the director of Newfoundland and Labrador's wildfire program, told CBC News Tuesday evening the fire is burning about six kilometres from the community, and is burning east from the south side of the Exploits River.
Crews received word of the fire just after 4 p.m. NT, Grand Falls-Windsor Fire Chief Vince MacKenzie said Tuesday. Torrential rain and lightning was reported in the area around the time, which prompted a short power outage for more than 8,500 people in the region.
Coady said water bombers were fighting a separate fire in the Bishop's Falls area when the lightning grounded the planes, which were then diverted to Badger.
It's too early to tell the size of the fire, but Coady called it "significant."
"There's a lot of smoke, and we haven't been able to do a good aerial assessment from chopper just yet," he said.
"That being said, it is a significant fire … Tomorrow is calling for some good fire weather, so you will see some smoke in the air. And the fire may grow again tomorrow."
Coady said there is no risk to the public or property at this stage.
The province's fire hazard rating map, which was last updated on Tuesday, indicates central Newfoundland, parts of the east coast of the island and the coast of Labrador from Rigolet to Hopedale all have an extreme risk of fire.
It wasn't the only fire crews were fighting on Tuesday. A wildfire burning near Churchill Falls, Labrador is now being held.
The fire broke out on Monday but is being managed on Tuesday. It was considered out of control until Tuesday morning when the status changed to being held.
Craig Coady, director of the province's wildfire program, said Tuesday the fire has burned 0.26 hectares. Three firefighters are on the ground and a helicopter is fighting hotspots from the air. The fire is under control and not expected to spread.
"They're dealing with [hot spots] as they find them. But all in all, the fire is being held, there's no spread today, and we're confident that the ground crew is going to be pretty effective," Coady told CBC News.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro spokesperson Jill Pitcher said in an email to CBC News that company operations weren't affected.
Coady said the risk to the public has largely subsided.
Last month, emergency crews responded to an out of control wildfire near the community that burned an estimated 170 hectares.
These fires come approximately a year after a large wildfire forced thousands of people to flee the community, including power plant workers. At the time, it raised concerns about the community's vital hydroelectric power plant.
"Much of Labrador, and including the Churchill Falls area, is what we consider to be an over mature forest and largely composed of black spruce. So those two factors are conducive to wildfires just as a matter of ecology," Coady said.
"When the weather conditions line up … those factors kind of come together and make the likelihood of fire, and the possibility of fire, more likely."
Extreme fire risk in parts of province
The towns of Labrador City and Wabush have issued fire bans due to concerns over high winds.
On the island, multiple fire bans are in place across the Avalon Peninsula, including St. John's, Mount Pearl, Conception Bay South and Portugal Cove-St Philip's.
Coady said rain is expected in Labrador, which will ease concerns of a fire there.
However, there's particular concern for the island over the rest of the week, he said.
"We will be up into the high and extreme fire hazard rate for the next couple of days until we get another rain event. So I would ask folks to take extra caution," said Coady.
"The conditions out on the landscape are right for forest fires right now."
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