‘Extreme wildfire behaviour' forces evacuation of Newfoundland town

CTV News

20-07-2025

A wildfire near Chance Harbour on Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula has damaged several structures, as shown in this handout photo from Warrick's Cove on Friday July 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Ryan Pitts (Mandatory Credit)
ST. JOHN'S — Officials have ordered residents to flee a town along Newfoundland's northeast coast as an out-of-control wildfire burns just two kilometres away.
An alert from the provincial Justice Department urges people in Musgrave Harbour, N.L., to leave because of 'extreme wildfire behaviour' in the area.
It asks residents of the town of about 950 people to head southwest to Gander, N.L., which is about an hour's drive along a rural two-lane highway.
Three water bombers and a helicopter have been dispatched to try to beat back the flames.
Meanwhile, residents of two communities roughly 110 km south of Musgrave Harbour, N.L., are still on edge as another wildfire roars nearby.
The fire in the Chance Harbour area ignited Monday and encompassed an area of about 16.6 square kilometres as of this morning.