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CTV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Evacuation alert ends for St. John's wildfire; officials fear N.S. fire will spread
A happy Eugene Howell takes footage on his phone as a sudden heavy rain shower moves in over Burnt Point, where the road to his evacuated community of Northern Bay is blocked due to the Kingston wildfire, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S — An evacuation alert has ended for thousands of people in towns and neighbourhoods close to a wildfire burning near Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city of St. John's. The provincial government says a wider state of emergency that included the towns of Paradise and Conception Bay South, as well as the St. John's neighbourhoods of Galway and Southlands, has also ended. Roughly 20,000 residents in and around the province's largest city were included in the evacuation alert, which asked residents to be prepared to leave their homes on short notice. In Nova Scotia, officials have declared a state of emergency in Annapolis County, after the Long Lake wildfire grew to about eight square kilometres. Officials say the fire could expand today as hot, dry weather persists. Crews fighting the wildfire are down one helicopter after a Department of Natural Resources aircraft crashed into a lake Friday afternoon. Forest protection director Jim Rudderham says the pilot is doing well but the helicopter is out of commission.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Who bears responsibility to prevent wildfire disasters: government or individuals?
Traffic is diverted as the Trans Canada Highway remains closed outside of St. John's N.L. due to a wildfire in the Paddy's Pond area on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly HALIFAX — As climate change continues to raise the risk of extreme wildfires, a debate has arisen over who bears the responsibility to prevent disasters: government or individuals? Wildfires have been raging across Canada all summer, including in the Atlantic region that hasn't historically seen as many fires as the rest of the country, prompting restrictions that aim to reduce risk of human-caused ignition. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, last week provincial governments banned hiking, fishing and using vehicles in the woods in addition to their existing bans on open fires. Both provinces are actively battling multiple blazes. Their provincial governments have received a flood of feedback from people expressing confusion and frustration, and some have claimed the restrictions represent an infringement on their personal freedoms. Jennifer Baltzer, a Wilfrid Laurier University biology professor and Canada Research Chair in forests and global change who is from Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley, said it's reasonable to expect these sorts of government-imposed restrictions as climate change results in hotter and dryer summers. 'As we experience conditions on the ground that are riskier… people are going to have to modify their behaviour to help mitigate potential accidental ignitions,' she said in an interview Thursday. However, Baltzer said governments have a lot of work to do to tackle the root cause of the worsening fire seasons: climate change. 'We really need to be implementing much stronger climate change mitigation policies than governments currently are. Because that's ultimately the solution to this,' she said. A day after the Nova Scotia restrictions were implemented, Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre criticized the ban and called on the province to address wildfire risk by making long-term investments in sustainable forestry management and climate adaptation, along with ramping up funding for local fire services. 'Serious moments demand thoughtful, long-term responses — not blunt tools and heavy-handed bans,' reads the statement shared on social media. 'This ban is a poor mechanism for addressing the underlying problem of dry, dangerous conditions. It leaves Nova Scotians wondering: is this what we should expect now? Will growing drought risk mean fewer and fewer opportunities to access and enjoy nature?' A follow-up statement from the centre said the province needs to ensure local fire services, which are largely volunteer-based in Nova Scotia, have adequate funding and up-to-date gear. The Ecology Action Centre said no one was available to be interviewed Wednesday and Thursday. The centre's executive director Maggy Burns said in an emailed statement hot and dry conditions are a reality that is not going away, and it may be necessary to restrict activity to keep communities safe. 'But Nova Scotians deserve an evidence-backed, long-term and clearly communicated plan to address the climate emergency, including wildfire,' she said Thursday. Speaking to reporters Wednesday in Ottawa, Alberta Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner criticized the restrictions in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia while accusing Ottawa of 'inaction' on wildfires. Rempel Garner said that while she understands the fear Maritimers feel, restricting individuals' movements is 'not right.' 'Whenever there's a major crisis, what the Liberal government has done by their inaction has conditioned Canadians to expect that the only response they can see out of their federal government is to restrict their movement,' Rempel Garner told reporters. Both restrictions were implemented by provincial governments. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston brushed off the criticisms at a press conference later Wednesday. 'I find it remarkable, the interest in travelling in Nova Scotia woods by people who aren't in Nova Scotia and probably haven't been here much in their life,' Houston told reporters. 'We're only concerned with keeping people safe. We'll do what's necessary to protect lives, and that's what we're doing in this case.' Baltzer said Atlantic Canadians may have to get used to such precautions, while considering ways they can reduce wildfire risk around their homes. This can include removing flammable materials or thinning out some forested areas. 'I think some of these things aren't probably such a hot of a topic (in Atlantic Canada) compared to Western Canada where fire regularly comes through the system… but I think across the country we can expect wildfire to become a more important issue that we're all going to have to be dealing with as the climate warms and dries,' she said. 'It's going to require both really strong policy action on the part of governments to mitigate climate change as fast as possible, and also on the community level, some personal action to help minimize risk.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025. Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfires in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia have residents on high alert
A water bomber provides a steady steam of water to assist crews on the ground at the Paddy's Pond wildfire, just outside St. John's, N.L., on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S — Thousands are out of their homes, and many more are on alert to evacuate as wildfires continue to rage across Atlantic Canada. Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador have expanded an evacuation alert along the Bay De Verde Peninsula as the Kingston wildfire burns nearby. The community of Job's Cove in Newfoundland is affected by the expanded evacuation alert for the wildfire, which is considered out-of-control and is now more than 90 square kilometres in size. The Kingston fire is the largest in the province and has forced more than 3,000 people from their homes. In Nova Scotia, the County of Annapolis expanded an evacuation order in the West Dalhousie area on Thursday night after a lightning strike triggered an intense, out-of-control wildfire. The wildfire is around three square kilometres in size and is one of 11 currently burning across the province. Wildfires are also burning in New Brunswick, including an out-of-control blaze near Miramichi that has swelled to nearly 14 square kilometres in size since it was first detected on Aug. 6. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
More people urged to prepare to evacuate N.L. fire that has destroyed about 100 homes
A person looks over wildfire smoke low on the horizon over Conception Bay South, N.L. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly ST. JOHN'S — Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador extended an evacuation alert Thursday evening, asking residents of a small coastal community to be ready to flee a wildfire that may have already destroyed up to 100 homes and structures. As a precaution, the province asked residents of Job's Cove, on Newfoundland's Bay de Verde Peninsula, to be prepared to leave as a wildfire measuring more than 80 square kilometres roared nearby. The fire near Kingston, N.L., is the largest in the province and has forced about 3,000 others in the area out of their homes. Premier John Hogan said Thursday morning that the Kingston fire had spread further along the northwestern shore of Conception Bay and reached Northern Bay, a popular destination for locals and tourists because of its sandy beach. He said up to 100 homes may have already been lost to the flames, but it was still too dangerous for crews to get close enough to make an accurate tally. 'I need to be very clear that it is next to impossible to determine how many structures have been lost due to the extreme fire behaviour and the smoke and the danger of trying to make that assessment right now,' he said during a press conference in St. John's. 'When we get through this, we will be able to accurately assess what has been damaged and what has been lost in these communities.' There were four wildfires burning out of control across Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday, as much of Atlantic Canada grapples with persistent heat and drought-like conditions. The province has seen 216 forest fires so far this year, compared with 97 last year, according to government data. In central Newfoundland, a fire by Martin's Lake shut down the only highway connecting the southern Connaigre Peninsula with the rest of the province. Marina Cox has been stranded for three days in Bishop's Falls, on the northern side of the wildfire, waiting for the road to reopen so she can go back home to Harbour Breton. 'It costing you money that you don't really have, paying for a hotel. And then you have to go out and get your meals,' Cox said in a telephone interview. 'And you don't know when you're going to get home.' Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and rain were in the forecast for St. John's Thursday, which could help crews as they battle a wildfire on the outskirts of the city near Paddy's Pond, Hogan said. Though videos on social media suggest the flames had abated somewhat, Jamie Chippett, deputy forestry minister, said the fire was still burning hot in the ground. The outlook is optimistic, he said, adding, 'but still not at a point where we're talking about this thing being held or under control.' People in parts of the St. John's suburb of Paradise were evacuated Tuesday, while thousands of others have been asked to be ready to leave their homes on a moment's notice. The towns of Paradise and Conception Bay South, as well as the St. John's neighbourhoods of Galway and Southlands, are in a state of emergency. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said it charged a 20-year-old man with arson for allegedly setting a series of brush fires in the capital city on Tuesday night. Hogan said the man will also be hit with fines totalling $150,000 for breaking the provincewide fire ban. Rain was in the forecast near the Martin's Lake fire, which could help crews get it under control, Hogan said. In 2022, a 100-metre fire break was constructed along the nearby power transmission line; the 11-kilometre-long break is expected to provide 'relief and safety' as the fire approaches, Hogan said. Meanwhile in Nova Scotia, an out-of-control wildfire in the Annapolis Valley has prompted the evacuation of some residents in the West Dalhousie area. The County of Annapolis issued a mandatory evacuation order Thursday morning, but it was unclear how many homes and businesses have been affected. In New Brunswick, a wildfire prompted authorities to issue an evacuation advisory, asking residents northwest of Miramichi to be prepared to leave their homes on short notice. That advisory was lifted about 90 minutes later after crews contained the fire. Officials said Thursday they were investigating whether 'multiple' fires had broken out overnight from lightning strikes. Brian Proctor, meteorologist with Environment Canada, said New Brunswick was hit with 10,477 lightning strikes overnight into Thursday. The majority struck in the northern half of the province, including in the Miramichi area, he said. 'We often do see lightning activity, but it was quite a severe day,' Proctor said. The largest out-of-control fire in the province was burning near Miramichi, and it has scorched nearly 14 square kilometres since Aug. 6. By Sarah Smellie. With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax, and Hina Alam in Fredericton.
CTV News
11-08-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Newfoundland's largest wildfire continues to gain ground near Kingston
The sun is visible as an orange ball over Victoria, NL. Forest fires have closed roads and caused mandatory evacuations from several communities along the Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay North, N.L., Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly SMALL POINT-ADAM'S COVE-BLACKHEAD-BROAD COVE — Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial fire duty officer says the largest of the province's out-of-control wildfires continues to gain ground, helped by dry, windy conditions. Mark Lawlor says the fire near the coastal town of Kingston, N.L., on the Avalon Peninsula, has expanded to about 52 square kilometres. Lawlor says it's remains unclear how many homes or cabins in the area have been destroyed by the fire. Thick smoke is causing poor visibility on the west side of Conception Bay, Lawlor says, making it a challenge for crews to assess the damage. There are seven wildfires burning out of control in the province -- five of them in Newfoundland and two in Labrador, but the Kingston fire is far larger than the other fires. As of Saturday, about 3,000 people or about 1,500 households were under a provincial evacuation order. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025. The Canadian Press
