A wildfire raging in Port Hope Simpson has more than doubled in size, with efforts to contain it entering the second day near the southeastern Labrador community. The fire now spans five hectares, up from its initial size of two hectares as of mid-Thursday morning, according to the N.L. wildfire operations dashboard. While there is no evacuation order in place, a state of emergency has been declared.
Charlottetown fire chief Boyce Turnbull mentioned that his team responded to the forest fire after it started around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Despite returning to Charlottetown, the crew was called back to assist in Port Hope Simpson and worked on-site until 1 a.m. the next day. Turnbull expressed concerns about the prevailing weather conditions, with warm temperatures in the high 20s and a 40 km southwest wind, which is not ideal for the area.
Aerial water drops have commenced, although the helicopter faced delays in taking off due to the smoky conditions early Thursday. Port Hope Simpson Coun. Sarah Williams reported that crews battled the fire overnight, coming as close as 300 meters to a residence. While no widespread evacuation order has been issued, residents of Country Road were evacuated on Wednesday night as a precaution.
Additional firefighting support from Charlottetown and Mary’s Harbour was mobilized, with a water bomber from Happy Valley-Goose Bay and a standby bomber from Gander ready for deployment. The distance between the communities could impact the water bomber operations, as pilots operate on four-hour shifts, needing to refuel every two hours.
Emergency shelters are available in Mary’s Harbour and St. Lewis, with around 20 people and their children leaving the community on Wednesday. However, no one has sought shelter at the emergency facilities yet. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared to take further action if necessary.