Latest news with #forestfire
CTV News
10 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfire on Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula mapped as largest in the province
CHANCE HARBOUR, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture says a wildfire near Chance Harbour on the Bonavista Peninsula is now the largest in the province. In a post on social media it says the size of the blaze is now mapped at 16.6 square kilometres, up from 15 square kilometres just about a day earlier, although the department notes this growth could have happened over time. The department says firefighters continue to fight the blaze, and are using various equipment including water bombers and helicopters. It says a sprinkler system is being used on the south and southeast section of the wildfire, closest to the communities of Jamestown and Winter Brook, and there has been no growth of the flames in that direction. There are five active wildfires with two — Chance Harbour and Winokapu in Labrador — being classified as out-of-control, meaning the firefighting efforts are not fully able to contain the flames. It has been a busy wildfire season for the province with 170 blazes so far this year, scorching an estimated 60 square kilometres of ground. The Canadian Press
CBC
14 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Police evacuating cabins as forest fire ignites in Hickman's Harbour, say RCMP
The Clarenville RCMP are evacuating cabins after a new forest fire was in Hickman's Harbour N.L. Saturday. In a post on social media, Clarenville RCMP say they are currently on the scene, and asking for the public to avoid the area. The provincial Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Department also say that two water bombers have been diverted to the wildfire, and that forestry crews are on the way. The province is also asking that people in the area pay attention to official channels, such as the RCMP, for information
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Malay Mail
Indonesia says 46 hectares of forest burning across north, west Sumatra
JAKARTA, July 19 — Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has reported two separate forest and land fires in North and West Sumatra, burning a combined area of 46 hectares. In North Sumatra's Simalungun Regency, several hotspots were detected on Thursday morning in the districts of Girsang Sipangan Bolon and Pematang Sidamanik, according to its spokesperson Abdul Muhari. 'The Simalungun Disaster Management Agency quickly coordinated with local authorities to contain the blaze, which is believed to have been fuelled by dry weather and strong winds,' he said in a statement. By Friday, at least 25 hectares of land had been scorched before the fire was brought under control with the help of Indonesia's specialised forest and land fire control unit, Manggala Agni, local fire brigades, and community volunteers. In West Sumatra, separate fires broke out on Friday evening in Nagari Padang Ganting and Nagari Pagaruyung, Tanah Datar Regency, but were extinguished the same day. 'Approximately 11 hectares of land were affected in Padang Ganting and another 10 hectares in Pagaruyung,' Abdul Muhari said. With much of Indonesia entering the dry season, BNPB has urged regional governments to remain vigilant against the risk of forest and land fires. Authorities have been advised to strengthen mitigation measures, including joint patrols and early suppression of fire hotspots, particularly in high-risk areas, Abdul Muhari added. — Bernama
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
When a wildfire threatened my hometown, I realized the places you love can disappear in an instant
Hilary Faktor is a writer based in Calgary and author of the forthcoming novel Pretty Bird. 'Should you still be in town if you can see fire in the distance?' I was on the phone with my mom, checking in on the rapidly changing forest fire situation near her community of Flin Flon, Man., when her neighbour burst through the front door hollering, 'It's time to go! We need to get out!' Linda, the neighbour, had been listening to the radio as the evacuation alert rolled in and made sure my mom knew. They've been next-door neighbours for 20 years. I'd called Mom after she texted me a picture of her home taken at 3 a.m., where behind her front yard, an eerie orange glow filled the sky. The forest fire crept in, like an invading army. 'It was surreal seeing that,' she said. 'Like something out of Hollywood.' In the days preceding, Mom and I had gone over a list of items she should have on hand in case the fire came closer. As an organized worrier with a steady feed of natural disasters on my timeline, my checklist was rapid fire: 'Passport, driver's licence and wallet?' 'Packed with my will, marriage licence and your dad's death certificate,' she replied. 'What about Auntie Susan's quilt and the children's books?' I asked. We began a quick back-and-forth on precious family keepsakes. The vintage picture books and novels of my mother's youth as well as the quilt a friend made for my aunt before she died of cancer, sewing our family's life stories into each square. Last summer, when a nearby forest fire caused the evacuation of Bakers Narrows, a lake community only a 15-minute drive from Flin Flon, I proactively took my great-grandparents' photos and two patchwork Norwegian blankets back to Calgary. 'I have everything. I need to go.' Mom's voice was laced with panic, but she had a plan, and a little of the tension left my shoulders knowing that she was getting out of town. She'd join the convoy of vehicles fleeing the approaching threat. Before we said goodbye, she whispered, 'It's not only your things, you know, it's your sense of place.' I know now that I didn't fully comprehend the gravity of a fire which recently threatened my hometown – and which, at the time I write this, threatens it once again. Like all Canadians, I've followed past summers' infernos in Fort McMurray, Alta., Kelowna, B.C., and Nova Scotia. But reading about them or hearing news on the radio is nothing like the searing panic you feel when the blaze threatens the places you thought were safe. Then my sister blew through the door of my home, two toddlers in tow, and her cellphone ready. Michelle is an HR professional on maternity leave and, within minutes, had brought me up to speed on the problem thousands of people evacuating forest fires in the North faced – a lack of hotels. She handed me a notebook and said, start with The Pas. How to exercise when wildfire smoke causes poor air quality Opinion: We have to learn to live with wildfire smoke Meanwhile, my mom was driving alone. With fires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan blocking new roads daily, she felt uneasy about the eight-hour drive to Winnipeg (where we have family) as the evacuation alert had recommended. Mercifully, Mom's friend tracked her down at a gas station along the route and suggested they make the drive together. Amid the adrenalin, a slow, painful thought crept in. Would the fire breach town? The night of May 28, the day Flin Flon was evacuated, people misread a NASA heat map and believed the fire had burnt half the town. In disbelief, I tried to visualize that much loss. A few hours later, we learned the truth. The town was safe, but mighty hot. I struggled to internalize how the places of my childhood – towns, parks and well-loved wilderness, can change in an instant. A year after Jasper burned, the class of 2025 marks a graduation forged through fire Flin Flon has a population of around 5,000 people. The 777 mine, which produced copper, zinc, gold and silver, closed in 2022. What if the high school burned, or the community centre? Would there be money to rebuild? Local favourites like the hockey arena – the Whitney Forum, named for H.P. Whitney, the New York financier who along with his son, Cornelius Vanderbilt ('Sonny') Whitney, made Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting possible – might not be replaced, leaving a hockey town homeless. I worried about the fate of the Big Island Drive-In. One of only a few dozen left in Canada, this old-time charmer is a favourite of my kids when we visit. The weeks we spend in Flin Flon each summer are a precious connection to this part of the country for my husband and me. My grandparents and dad are long gone now, but my mom's house holds cherished memories: climbing the bald rocks behind the house as a child, walking my toddlers through my dad's garden. Each stone statue and piece of petrified wood holds a memory. My mom's kitchen, where five generations have eaten our family's Ukrainian/Saskatchewan borscht. Who are we without the physical foundations of our lives? Miraculously, the communities of Flin Flon and Creighton were spared, and on June 25, the evacuation order was lifted. The incredible efforts of more than 200 volunteer and professional firefighters held the line. But not so for the nearby village of Denare Beach. Denare Beach is a special place to me. Chat with a local and they'll tell you about a sweet fishing spot or the storied limestone crevices: remains of an ancient sea now compacted into limestone with caverns and crevices perfect for adventurers to explore. Denare's was the last beach my dad visited before he passed away. I had doom-scrolled late into the night on June 2 as word of a forest fire racing across treetops burned parts of Denare Beach. People watching on home security cameras saw the fire burst through doors and windows with the cruelty of a violent home invasion. The Ridge on Amisk Resort, a hotel and restaurant with a world-class view of Amisk Lake, burned down to the studs. My aunt and uncle married at this hotel, I had high school retreats there, and too many family dinners to count. People in Denare learned of this devastation when the volunteer firefighters, many watching their own homes burn, texted heartbroken condolences or snapped photos showing proof of life to the homes left standing. What are the health risks of wildfire smoke? How to protect your lungs from poor air quality People returned to clean the remains of places in Denare, or marvel at how their house made it through, but the kayaks or ATVs in the yard burned to ash. Citizens of Creighton and Flin Flon returned to overgrown lawns and mouldy leftovers, but with a deep sense of gratitude for all that was left. Precious memories in the form of everyday objects. The relief was temporary as this week, Manitoba issued a second provincewide state of emergency, and people braced for the possibility of another evacuation. Flin Flon is not currently on alert, though conditions are still such that the risk of fire isn't over yet. But with recent rainfall and ample firefighting support, there is hope. Manitoba is experiencing one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in recent decades, but this story could be from many places in Canada. My beloved hometown, or yours. This summer, I planned to return home, and I'm hopeful that I still will. To be in my hometown, grateful for all that was spared from the fire. All the everyday things we take for granted, not understanding their value until they're gone.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Peloton, pineapples and a lake monster: photos of the day
Smoke rises over charred woodland as firefighters continue to fight a forest fire that spread from agricultural land Photograph: Fatih Capkin/Anadolu/Getty Images Alexandra Mejia Gallego of Andorra grabs a drink, during the women's 10km open water swim at the world swimming championships Photograph: Vincent Thian/AP A sculpture named the Van Lake monster, weighing 600kgs and made from iron collected from scrap dealers, is lowered onto the lake shore Photograph: Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu/Getty Images Bolivian dancers take part in the Virgin of Carmen parade Photograph: Diego Rosales/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Members of the Korean confederation of trade unions (KCTU) stage a rally near the National Assembly, demanding that the government adopt a pro-labour act Photograph: YONHAP/EPA The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn tour at BC Place Photograph: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/AP Farmers ride in convoy as they head to a market carrying up to 100 pineapples each on their bikes Photograph: Joy Saha/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock The peloton cycles past the Place du Capitole during the 11th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France Photograph: Loïc Venance/AFP/Getty Images Activists put up an installation in the shape of a heart and lungs damaged by exposure to microplastics waste, during a protest to raise awareness of the impact of single-use plastic Photograph: Juni Kriswanto/AFP/Getty Images Lava emerges through a fissure after a volcanic eruption Photograph: Hordur Kristleifsson/Civil Protection Of Iceland/Reuters The partner of Israeli army sergeant Shoham Menachem, killed in action the previous day in the Gaza Strip, mourns during his funeral at the Yardena military cemetery Photograph: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP/Getty Images An injured Palestinian baby is brought to Al-Shifa hospital for treatment following the Israeli attacks on Al-Shati refugee camp Photograph: Omar Ashtawy/APAImages/Shutterstock A Palestinian receives medical attention at Nasser hospital after an Israeli attack near an aid supply distribution point Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters Palestinians mourn for relatives who were killed in Israeli airstrike near an aid supply distribution point Photograph: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty Images The aftermath of a drone attack targeted at a building of the FED company, which specialises in the research, development and maintenance of aircraft and helicopters Photograph: Patrick Muzart/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Residents gather outside their houses that have been submerged by floodwaters after heavy monsoon rains Photograph: Husnain Ali/AFP/Getty Images
