Badger residents told to flee as wildfire approaches community, infrastructure

CBC

5 hours ago

Residents of Badger, N.L. are being ordered to flee the community, as a wildfire continues to burn just four kilometres from the town.
Speaking during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Premier John Hogan said government made that decision just a few minutes before speaking with reporters.
"We thought there might be a little window to make this decision a little bit later in the day, but we certainly felt it's better to be safe than sorry and make sure we move these people as soon as possible," he said.
The move comes just a few hours after the town's council told residents they need to be ready to leave their homes at a moment's notice.
Hogan said the roughly 500 people in Badger should head to Grand Falls-Windsor, where they can stay at the Joe Byrne Arena.
According to the Public Safety Department, the fire is about 380 hectares.
It started near the community following a lightning storm in the area Tuesday afternoon.
According to the provincial fire hazard map, the entire central Newfoundland region is considered to be between a high and extreme risk for fire.
In a news release sent Wednesday morning, Public Safety said it had "wildfire suppression ground resources and air support actioning the fire. Two waterbombers have been dispatched."
"The provincial emergency operations centre is at Level 2 and is actively monitoring this situation. Emergency management partners have been engaged to respond, where necessary," said the statement.
The department said Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro has reduced the amount of power flowing through the Labrador-Island Link.
A fire ban is in effect for the entire province.
'Challenging day'
Forestry Minister Lisa Dempster also acknowledged the seriousness of the wildfire situation in central Newfoundland.
"We're going to have a challenging day ahead today with Badger, by all accounts," she told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning.
She advised people to follow the town's official social media accounts to stay up to date regarding the evacuation status.
She also said government is making plans to deal with future forest fires.
"Here at home we're actually moving to increase the resources that we have. We currently have four 4-15 tankers. We have just invested federal, provincial money — almost $15 million to repair a fifth water tanker, recognizing the need for that," said Dempster.
She added they need to recruit more people into the field.