"It's not very often we bring in resources that expensive," Motty said, noting he was pleased provincial officials complied with the request for help. Quebec has sent firefighters and aircraft to help battle the flames. "But still some huge fires down there on the landscape," Motty said. With a bit of rain expected Tuesday, Motty said there was less worry the fires would join forces. It was forecast over the weekend that the two fires would merge, but Sunday's winds weren't as high as predicted, and the air was more humid than anticipated, he said. The fire that began in an area called Paradise Lake was within 25 kilometres of Grand Falls-Windsor, and crews were working Monday afternoon to build a firebreak that would keep the flames from creeping closer to the town, Motty said. Typically, forest fires in Newfoundland and Labrador don't get larger than five square kilometres, Jeff Motty, the province's forest fire duty officer, said in an interview, adding that both fires were out of control. Officials said Saturday the fires are burning in a remote area and the flames don't pose a risk to any homes or residents.Īs of Monday afternoon, the Forestry Department estimated that the two main fires in the area together encompassed over 160 square kilometres. The province has declared a state of emergency stretching from the Connaigre Peninsula up the highway to the towns of Bishop's Falls, Grand Falls-Windsor and Botwood, largely because of smoke and air quality concerns. The last time the road was opened was last Thursday morning, according to the Department of Forestry. The province said in a news release Monday evening that it has started flying essential goods to the stranded communities by helicopter.įor the past two weeks, forest fires have forced officials to intermittently shut down a remote, 200-kilometre-long route that connects the main highway across Newfoundland with the island's Connaigre Peninsula, which is home to the towns of Harbour Breton, Hermitage and Conne River. Not just for Harbour Breton, but for the entire region." "We need to get food in within a day or so to help us out. "Things are starting to get stressful for most residents," Drake said in a phone interview from the town hall. Drake said he owns one of those stores - the smallest of the three in the town of about 1,600 people - and already, there's not a jug of milk or a loaf of bread left on any of his shelves. Roy Drake said the three grocery stores in Harbour Breton, N.L., will likely be out of food within the next day or two. The deputy mayor of a southern Newfoundland town said Monday his community is running out of food as it remains cut off from the rest of the island due to the worst forest fires the province has seen in more than 60 years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |