Latest news with #MusgraveHarbour
CBC
6 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Gander eager to step up in times of need during fire evacuation, mayor says
It's been twice in a month that Gander has had to step up as a place to house evacuees of wildfires this summer. Mayor Percy Farwell said the town is eager to help wherever possible and are lending a hand to keep things under control following the evacuation from a fire in Musgrave Harbour.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Volunteer firefighters missing work to battle roaring wildfire in rural Newfoundland
An out-of-control wildfire is shown in this handout photo near Musgrave Harbour, N.L., just before midnight on July 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Kyle Gaulton (Mandatory Credit) ST. JOHN'S — Volunteer firefighters are on the front lines of a roaring wildfire that has forced hundreds to flee their homes in rural Newfoundland, and some battling the flames are missing work to be there. Jason Chaulk says he was supposed to fly on Monday for Saskatchewan, where he is a rotational worker at a mine. But the volunteer mayor and deputy fire chief in Musgrave Harbour, N.L., says he stayed home to fight the fire and help his community. Chaulk says others in the 30-member volunteer fire crew have flown home from rotational jobs to be on the ground helping out. He says they have set up air mattresses in the firehall so they can sleep in shifts. The wildfire near Musgrave Harbour ignited Saturday and officials ordered residents to evacuate the following day when it crept within a kilometre of the town. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.
CBC
14 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Wildfire evacuees from Musgrave Harbour, N.L., welcomed in Gander
A wildfire near Musgrave Harbour, N.L., forced around 900 residents to evacuate the community and many headed to nearby Gander — a community with a well-known history of opening its arms to people in need.
CTV News
19 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Wind, humidity slowing growth of fire that forced hundreds from homes in Newfoundland
An out-of-control wildfire is shown near Musgrave Harbour, N.L., just before midnight on Sunday, July 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Kyle Gaulton *Mandatory Credit* ST. JOHN'S — A fire that forced hundreds of people to evacuate Musgrave Harbour, N.L., remained about two kilometres from the town on Monday, but officials said less wind and more humidity was slowing its growth. The weather forecast for the area along Newfoundland's northeastern coast also called for rain until Tuesday, the province's Department of Justice and Public Safety said. The fire wasn't expected to inch closer to the town, but the evacuation order remained in place, the department said. The blaze began Saturday and grew quickly, forcing officials to order everyone in Musgrave Harbour out of their homes on Sunday. People were told to head southwest to Gander, N.L., a much bigger town with a population of about 11,800 about an hour's drive along a rural two-lane highway. As of Monday morning, the fire encompassed an area of about 18 square kilometres. Water bombers, helicopters and a Bird Dog plane were attempting to douse the flames from the air. Musgrave Harbour is home to some 950 people, and they were asked to register at a reception centre in Gander. Krystle West has opened the doors of her Gander business to Musgrave Harbour families with kids. The owner and operator of Xheight Zone, an indoor playground and trampoline park, said parents can drop off their children for free while they make plans and run errands as they wait to go home. 'It's all free for them,' West said in an interview. 'These are people that come and support us all year round, too … we just give back when we can.' West said she had about 20 children from Musgrave Harbour at her facility on Sunday. On Monday night, she was offering a free pizza party for evacuated families. It helps the children feel less anxious, West said. 'They're chatty and curious, but for the most part, they seem to be OK,' she said. 'It's worrisome, for sure. You can hear them chat a little bit, but I think they're being really good sports.' About 100 km southeast of the Musgrave Harbour fire, another 18-square-kilometre fire burned in the Chance Harbour area. The southern end of the Chance Harbour fire was about five km from two neighbouring communities — Winter Brook and Jamestown — as of Sunday evening. The northern end of the fire has destroyed several cabins along the coast. Residents are staying up to date in a Facebook group for the area, which is not an incorporated town but a local service district. Such districts don't have mayors or town councils, but they have clerks who help keep basic services running. Clerk Annie Harris summed up the general feeling in the area with a short post on Sunday evening: 'Rain. Yay!!!' The Chance Harbour fire is the second this year to destroy structures in Newfoundland. In May, a wildfire around Adam's Cove along Conception Bay destroyed about a dozen homes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025 Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press
CBC
20 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
‘What I saw was fire all around me': Musgrave Harbour evacuees gather in Gander
The wildfire near Musgrave Harbour continued to burn out of control on Monday. As the CBC's Henrike Wilhelm reports, evacuees found help — and a hot meal — in Gander.
