(St. John’s) The water bombers slowed down the progress of a forest fire threatening the largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, but the flames are still out of control, the authorities said on Wednesday.
In addition, the provincial government has prohibited the circulation of all-terrain vehicles (mountain bikes) on forest roads, while the teams are fighting for five outlaws out of control in the province, the most important of which now covers more than 64 square kilometers, said Prime Minister John Hogan, at a press conference in St. John’s.
Earlier this week, Hogan had however indicated that a ban on mountain biking was not a good idea, because off -road vehicles are important for those who live and work in the forest.
“What has changed is that fires continue to occur,” he said. We must ensure that no other fire is declared, because our resources are limited […] to fight against current fires. It was a measure that we had to take today by excess of prudence. »»
The authorities also imposed two fines – one to an individual and the other on a company – for violation of a ban on making fires across the province, added the Prime Minister.
“I sincerely hope that people understand the severity of the ban on making fires, regulations in terms of fires and what we ask them to do,” said Hogan. If you contravene this ban, we will find you and will inflict a fine. »»
Archives photo, Canadian press
Smoke from a neighboring forest fire is visible in this distributed photo, taken at Signal Hill, in St. John’s, in Newfoundland and Labrador, on August 11, 2025.
On Tuesday, the authorities ordered the evacuation of certain parts of a suburb of St. John’s threatened by a fire located about 15 kilometers south of the provincial capital. Thousands of other people in the metropolitan region remain under an evacuation alert, which requires that residents be ready to flee at any time.
Hogan said on Wednesday that the fire was raging about 250 meters from the Trans -Canadian. Six bombers of water-four from Newfoundland and Labrador and two from Ontario-tried to contain the flames.
According to the provincial dashboard of forest fires, the fire extended over around 2.5 square kilometers.
Tuesday, extreme conditions forced the authorities to remove the teams from the southern fire limit, Hogan said.
About 100 kilometers to the west, the largest fire in the province continued to rage near Kingston, in Newfoundland and Labrador, on the northwest shore of the design bay. The Kingston fire, which started on August 3, forced around 3000 people to leave their homes and destroy an indefinite number of houses and structures. Mr. Hogan said that smoke in the sector was too thick for teams to assess the damage precisely.
In an evacuation center in Carbonear, south of Kingston’s fire, Gerry Rogers, an evacuated person, said that, on August 3, the fire fueled by the wind had forced him to leave his house in Blackhead.
“We are told that the situation is really terrible,” said Mr.me Rogers Tuesday during an interview, adding that the wind had made the fight against the fire on the ground almost impossible.
“The winds were so strong that nothing had effect. There was nothing to do to turn off the fire at that time. »»
As for his house, Gerry Rogers said that recent satellite photos clearly show that the ground around Blackhead and the surrounding area has been seriously burned, which indicates that there is no longer much standing.
In St. John’s, Prime Minister Hogan said he had discussed with Mark Carney on Tuesday evening and made sure that he understood the gravity of forest fires.
“I took the time to describe in more detail the geographical situation we are facing here, the fact that fires are not limited to the center [de Terre-Neuve] And to the northern design bay, but have now moved to the urban center, “said Hogan.
A Sikorsky S-92 helicopter capable of transporting more than 5,300 liters of water is on the way from Alberta, for 2.1 million, added the Prime Minister.
