‘Everyone came together': Volunteer firefighters battle roaring wildfire in rural Newfoundland
A heavy dose of rain has helped firefighters make progress on an out-of-control wildfire that has forced hundreds from their homes in central Newfoundland.
Nearly 30 mm of rain has fallen over the town of Musgrave Harbour since Monday afternoon. While the fire remains active, the change in conditions has helped ground crews start their work on fire suppression.
Despite the progress, more than 900 residents of Musgrave Harbour remain on an evacuation order Tuesday. The town's mayor, Jason Chaulk travelled to both Gander and Carmanville Tuesday afternoon to speak with residents who were waiting for news.
Chaulk is also the deputy chief of the town's volunteer fire brigade, saying he and several other members of his team are missing shifts to respond to the fire.
'I got guys here that flew in (Monday) morning that were away on turnarounds, guys that work on supply boats off the island, guys that work in construction in Ontario,' Chaulk said in a telephone interview. 'Everybody came home, came together.'
'We have our own jobs and our own families that we have to be concerned about,' he added. 'But we're taking on that responsibility for protecting the town as well.'
Chaulk and others in the 30-person crew have been sleeping on air mattresses in the town's fire hall.
An evacuation centre has been opened in Gander to support residents from Musgrave Harbour, who have been forced out of their homes. Many are electing to stay with friends and family throughout the region.
Gander's Salvation Army has been providing meals and other support for evacuees. The group even organized a 'kitchen party' to help boost morale on Tuesday evening.
'We have a host of volunteers who make this job very light,' he said. 'You can depend upon them. They know how to lead, they know how to do the work, and they truly do it out of love and compassion.'
Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture said Tuesday that an aerial support team, including six water bombers, seven helicopters and a bird dog aircraft, are splitting their time between two out-of-control wildfires in the province.
The second, a wildfire near Chance Harbour area, is nearly 100 km away.
Resources from Quebec and New Brunswick have arrived in the province to help with firefighting efforts.
With files from The Canadian Press and NTV
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
21 minutes ago
- CBC
Check out lightning strikes and other summer scenes in this week's audience photo gallery
New We love seeing your photos! Email us at nlphotos@ Image | Tilton lightning Caption: Kayla Sooley captured the bright lightning flashes Wednesday night, from her balcony in Tilton, N.L. (Submitted by Kayla Sooley) Open image in new tab The night of July 30 was unusual for those on the Avalon Peninsula, as a thunderstorm brought loud booms and intense lightning strikes. In this photo gallery, check out some shots of that night plus some other —more calming — summer sights. Enjoy these photos, then scroll to the bottom to see how you can be part of next week's gallery. Image | Topsail lightning Caption: Brian George captured the bright lightning flashes from Paradise during Wednesday night's storm. (Submitted by Brian George) Open image in new tab Image | Gambo sky Caption: Darlene Collins said it looked like there was a storm brewing in Gambo on July 31. (Submitted by Darlene Collins) Open image in new tab Image | Triton Rainbow Caption: After intense thunderstorms during the week, this Sunday rainbow in Triton is a calming sight to see. (Submitted by Barry Bridger) Open image in new tab Image | Cod fishing in bonavista Caption: Pamela Crewe says Sunday morning was perfect for cod fishing in Bonavista Bay. (Submitted by Pamela Crewe) Open image in new tab Image | Little port Caption: Gordon Winsor captured a few boats that would be great to take out on the calm ocean waters, under the clear summer sky. (Submitted by Gordon Winsor) Open image in new tab Image | Northern Bay sands Caption: Summer is the best time to explore sandy beaches, just like Connie Boland did in Northern Bay on July 28. (Submitted by Connie Boland) Open image in new tab Want to submit a photo? Have a photo you'd like to share? Here's how to get in touch with us: email nlphotos@ It's a dedicated address just for photo submissions from across Newfoundland and Labrador. Here's what we need from you: your name, where the photo was taken and a caption that tells us what's in the image. We encourage you to add any information you think our readers would enjoy! We share the photos we receive here, and we might also use them on Here & Now each weeknight during Ashley Brauweiler's weather segments. And we always give credit. Because of the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot respond to everyone.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
B.C. officials confirm 120 active wildfires across the province
British Columbia government and wildfire officials say 120 wildfires remain active in the province as of Wednesday, but light rain and higher humidity are helping crews fight the blazes.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Low water levels worsening along Carp River watershed, conservation authority says
The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is warning of a potentially serious problem with water levels on the Carp River amid dry conditions this summer. Last week, the MVCA issued a 'Level 1 – Low' status for the Carp River watershed and said residents who are not on the City of Ottawa's municipal distribution network should reduce their water consumption by 10 per cent. On Wednesday, the status of the Carp River watershed was changed to 'Level 2 – Moderate.' 'Flows in the Carp River are significantly below normal, with reports of some tributaries running dry. Precipitation over the past three months has also been substantially below normal values for this time of year,' the MVCA said in a news release. 'A significant rainfall over a large portion of the watershed will be required to return the watershed to normal conditions.' Residents who are not on the City of Ottawa's municipal distribution network are now being asked to reduce their water consumption by 20 per cent to help mitigate the effects of the lower water levels. 'Those who have permits for taking water from surface or groundwater sources are asked to reduce their actual taking as much as possible. Residents are also urged to use water conservatively by using rain barrels to water lawns and gardens and avoid using pressure washers to clean houses, driveways, decks and fences,' the conservation authority says. Wednesday marks the 10th straight day with no rain in Ottawa. According to Environment Canada's website, a trace of rain was recorded on July 27. The last significant rainfall was July 24, when 8.4 mm of rain was recorded. The monthly rainfall total for July was well below the seasonal average, and lower than usual rainfall was also observed in May and June. 'The seven-day forecast is predicting negligible amounts of rain with daytime highs ranging between 27 C and 34 C across the watershed, further exacerbating the already dry conditions in the Carp River Watershed,' the MVCA says. An open-air fire ban for the City of Ottawa was also issued Wednesday because of the dry conditions.
