An evacuation order was given to Musgrave Harbor, a community of Newfoundland and Labrador threatened by a forest fire which rages a kilometer from the municipality and is quickly closer due to strong winds.
The evacuation order is also in force for the Banting Memorial Campgroundlocated near Musgrave Harbour.
In the morning, the flames were two kilometers from the city and have since gained ground. At the start of the afternoon, on Sunday, they are a kilometer.
The four tankers in the province as well as a helicopter now participate in efforts aimed at mastering the flames.
In an update published by the province at noon, we learn that the forest fire was initially identified on Saturday evening, at 8 p.m. He was then 8 kilometers from the community.
It is rank 5, it is a very high level and, in technical terms, that means that it is ‘very active’ ”
declares Jamie Chippettthe deputy minister of peaches, forestry and agriculture.
The international fire behavior scale is 1 to 6. Level 1 means a brooding fire while level six is an extremely aggressive fire that exceeds the treetops.
Rang 5 designates an extremely vigorous surface fire.
Unfortunately, with a 40 km/h wind and gusts at 50 km/h in west-south-west direction mean that our community is exactly in the fire line of fire
The smoke that emerges from the flames prevents authorities from encrypting the size of the forest fire, but Jamie Chip relates that he would have an area of hundreds of hectares.
Little lull before Tuesday
Jamie Chip Add that the winds should calm down a little on Monday, but their directions will not change. In addition, the weather forecast announces possible rain precipitation in the evening.
The first real relief will take place on Tuesday, we expect colder temperatures, a change of wind cap and significant showers
said the subminister.
The Minister of Justice and Public Security John Haggie has qualified the situation as important and serious problem.
A poor air quality alert at Musgrave Harbour was issued by Environment Canada.
Johhn Haggie is worried about the repercussions of poor air quality on the intervention teams.
It also reminds everyone that it is illegal to fly drones in forest fire areas.
Evacuated citizens
A reception center for evacuated has been set up at Ganderat Centre Steele Memorial. The Canadian Red Cross will be on site to accommodate displaced people.
Buses will be in service to transport people evacuated until Ganderadded the press release.
Citizens can go to the fire station to be transported.
The Minister Haggie Ask all the citizens referred to by the evacuation order to register by calling on the 709-729-0921, even those who do not intend to go to the center.
According to the municipality’s clerk, Amber Littlejohn, Musgrave Harbour is drowned in smoke.
Sunday noon, citizens evacuated from Musgrave Harbor began to arrive at the Steele Memorial center to register with the Red Cross.
Photo : Radio-Canada / David Newell
The fire service was at the scene of the blaze all night to fight the flames, she adds.
A tank plane goes back and forth and picks seawater in a designated place, off our beach
she adds.
In a message broadcast on social networks, the municipal council of Musgrave Harbour decreed the state of emergency on Sunday morning.
The message indicates that municipal elected officials consider that the fire poses a serious risk to the safety of residents and the infrastructure of the municipality.
They ask all citizens to evacuate immediately.
Fires continue elsewhere in the province
The poor air quality opinion which was in force in the Bonavista peninsula due to the fire near Chance Harbour was also lifted.
Saturday, the fire that rages at Chance Harbour was an area of 1660 hectares and was still considered uncontrolled.
According to Wesley Morgana provincial fire prevention agent, the wind made it possible to remove the fire from the cities of Jamestown and Winter Brook.
In an 11-hour update on Sunday, the Ministry of Forests indicates that Luck residents Harbor can, however, expect to see significant smoke from the southeast of the fire.
Sunday morning, the fire of Nine Island Pondwho started on Saturday and led to the evacuation of cabins in the sector of Hickmans Harbourwas still considered uncontrolled.
In the southeast, the arm of Small Point, with an area of 5.2 hectares, is still under control.
A prohibition to make fires is in force throughout the province.
With information fromAbby Cole and Andrew Hathorne, CBC
