
Adam's Cove fire deemed out as as state of emergency continues in C.B.N., fire chief says
A wildfire that forced residents of Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove in Conception Bay North to flee their community has now been deemed as put out, says the community's fire chief.
Roger Gillingham, chief of the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department, told Radio-Canada that hotspots around the fire remain, but favourable weather conditions allowed several dozen firefighters to control the fire.
Multiple water bombers and the use of nine pump trucks also helped quell the fire.
The fire prompted the town to declare a state of emergency Wednesday night, and residents of Adam's Cove north of Cave Lane, those north of Black Head Brook and those in the area south of River Loop Road in Western Bay have been told to evacuate.
In an update at around 2:30 p.m. NT Thursday, the provincial government said more than 20 structures, including homes and a warehouse housing recreational vehicles, had been affected by the fire, which the government said was 600 hectares in size.
The province also said the ambulance base in the Adam's Cove region has been evacuated as a precaution. Ambulances have been relocated north to Old Perlican, the update said.
Adam's Cove resident Pauline White told CBC News the situation on Wednesday was frantic.
She and a friend attempted to get to her sister's home in the early hours of the evacuation, but quickly found the route impassable.
"We quickly became engulfed in flames and smoke. The dog was going crazy and it was like, 'no, we can't make it. We've got to back out,'" White said
White reversed, but found another impassable road.
Unable to drive the truck to safety, she says she and her friend got on their ATVs raced down a trail behind Adam's Cove.
"So we basically drove through fire," she said.
Arriving at her sister's home, they found fire everywhere. Everyone got out safely.
White says she's since been back to her own home, and while it's still standing there are scorch marks around her house and garage.
"It is Armageddon," said White.
The scene in the community reminds her of the 2016 fire in Fort McMurray, which her brother and his family experienced.
For now, White is staying with a friend, and at least three of her cats are alright but she hasn't seen two others. She says she's frustrated because of unreliable cell service in the area.
"As a matter of fact, I still can't call my family and let them know we're OK and that the house is still fine," she said.
Homes destroyed
Meanwhile, the town's mayor says he doesn't know the full extent of the damage.
"There's a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty right now. And we don't even know exactly which homes have been lost. We know general areas," Mayor Curtis Delaney said.
He says there's been no report of injuries, and a lot of the fire was contained overnight. There's still a number of active areas where firefighters are hoping to knock down on Thursday.
"As things get cleaned up and hotspots within the community itself are put out, you know, we'll have a better idea of exactly the damage that's done," he said.
He says some evacuees have gone to stay with family and friends, but the town is also using the local community centre and a school as evacuation centres.
"I've had a number of people even this morning now, wondering now, 'Do I have a house? Is my house still standing,'" he said.
The community has a population of around 400 but he says there are also seasonal residents.
"It's heartbreaking to see the damage that a fire can do in such a short period of time."
He says it's not safe for residents to return and told people to get information from the town's Facebook page.
Delaney says every year they're dealing with drier conditions and a greater chance of fires.
"All it takes is a spark and it could be my home just as well as anyone else's. It really hits home when it's your area and people that you know," he said.
Frank Reynolds, a town councillor, says the last day has been devastating for the community, but everyone came together to help one another.
"Everyone's affected. I don't know what's lost, I can't answer that, but it's a devastating time in this community," said Reynolds.
Reynolds says the water bombers saved Blackhead and the surrounding area.
Sue Rose, who is also a town councillor, says it was a difficult night, and while a few families have lost their homes, everyone is safe.
"The firefighters came from all over and the RCMP were just fantastic. They took control and made sure everyone was not entering Adam's Cove," said Rose.
Gerry Rogers says the water bombers hadn't been able to fly due to the fog earlier in the day, but they were eventually able to get into the air.
"I think this is a direct result of climate change," she said.
Power out
According to the province's active wildfire dashboard, the fire at Adam's Cove is 15 hectares. Another fire burning at Harding's Pond in Holyrood is one hectare. Both are burning out of control.
But CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler says there is some good news in the day's forecast.
"Today's relative humidity is quite high compared to yesterday, and showers are expected this afternoon and evening," she said. "The winds shift northeasterly tomorrow between 20-30 km/h with a big drop in temperatures, which should help — along with the chance of showers again tomorrow."
The province said conditions are favourable to help suppress the fire on Thursday.
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for the northern Avalon Peninsula, because of the fires.
"Reduced air quality can be expected along the path of the plumes," reads the statement. "Winds today and tonight will be predominately from the southwest, which should move the majority of the smoke out to sea."
There are also fires in Fermeuse and Joe's Lake, northwest of Badger, that are under control.
The RCMP has closed route 70 between Adam's Cove and Western Bay and police are asking people to head south toward Victoria or north toward Lower Island Cove.
Cabot Academy in Western Bay and Persalvic School Complex in Victoria are also closed.
There is also a power outage in the areas around Kingston and Ochre Pit Cove, affecting approximately 230 customers. Newfoundland Power took the power offline on Wednesday.
Volunteers rally
There are evacuation centres at Persalvic Elementary School in Victoria, the AYLA building on Crutches Road in Lower Island Cove and the Salem Community Centre in Small Point.
Janessa Wheeler, a volunteer at the AYLA building, says last night around 10 people came to the centre, as well as pets like budgie birds, cats and dogs.
She says the residents are in shock and don't know if they have homes to go back to.
"It's devastating and it's sad," said Wheeler.
There were many people dropping by to help with food and other donations like toiletries, she says, and local restaurants donated food for breakfast.
"It warms my heart to know that there's people out there willing to do this. You don't know what to expect. You don't know when to expect anything coming."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Special weather statement continues for B.C.
Vancouver Watch A heat advisory issued Friday continues for much of the province Monday, one day after 12 communities report a shattering of heat records.


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Cooler weather, rain bolster wildfire fight in Flin Flon
A wildfire in the Flin Flon, Man. area is shown in a government handout photo on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — Manitoba Government *MANDATORY CREDIT* A weekend of more moderate weather helped keep the wildfire threatening Flin Flon at bay. The city posted on its Facebook page Sunday night that cooler weather and rain bolstered firefighting efforts over the weekend. There have been no structure fires in the city, the update added, and crews continue to monitor for hot spots. 'As this is an active and volatile situation, we are still under a mandatory evacuation order, as well as a state of emergency,' the post said. 'Only authorized emergency personnel are permitted to enter the community.' The city also said water and wastewater facilities are fully functional, and testing has been done to ensure drinking water is safe. Wellness checks also continue for the community's pets, the city added. The province's latest fire bulletin released Sunday noted the fire near Sherridon, which triggered Flin Flon's evacuation, is still over 300,000 hectares – about five times the size of Winnipeg. It is deemed out of control.


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Hot, dry start to the week with highs around 30 C in southern Alberta on Monday
Monday's weather will be very similar to Sunday's across southern Alberta with clear skies, minimal wind and temperatures that are well above seasonal. Early Monday, air quality advisories were issued for the southeast portion of the province as smoke from northern Alberta was impacting the region. By 8 a.m. Monday, those advisories had been lifted, but smoke will likely move back in as it tracks south and east along the foothills and over the ridge of high pressure that is currently serving as the main weather-maker in southern Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. Smoke was noticeable in Calgary early Monday, but both Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Alberta government sites were still reporting levels well-below the threshold level for an advisory with an air quality health index rating of 3 - or low risk - as of 8 a.m. Both daytime highs and lows are expected to remain elevated on Monday with some locations in southern Alberta forecast to see highs as warm as 34 C. That ridge is expected to start to flatten by Wednesday allowing for more instability to move in, bringing scattered showers through the B.C. interior before persistent periods of rain impact southern Alberta on Thursday and Friday. In Calgary, there is the potential for more than 20 millimetres of rain over just a couple of days. This rain will be helpful for wildfires and to help lower the fire danger risk. Hot, dry start to the week with highs around 30 C in southern Alberta on Monday The fire danger relative index as of 7 a.m. Monday, June 9, 2025. As of Monday morning, most of the province remains under an extreme rating according to the fire danger relative index, which is an assessment of how easy it would be for a wildfire to start, how difficult it would be to control a wildfire if one does start and the amount of potential damage from a wildfire. Temperatures will start to moderate by the end of the week, getting closer to the seasonal high of 19.5 C.