Wildfires: State of Emergency declared in Newfoundland

A fast-growing wildfire in central Newfoundland forced officials to declare a state of emergency Saturday night, and many residences could soon be evacuated.

In a video posted to social media Saturday evening, Newfoundland Premier Andrew Fury described the fire as “the largest fire the province has seen since 1961.”

Smoke from forest fires affects air quality in the center of the province, which explains why the state of emergency has been triggered. The prime minister has asked residents to “stand aside” to evacuate the area if necessary as the fire spreads rapidly.

At the moment, the affected areas are located in the center of the province, namely Grand Falls-Windsor, Bishops Falls and the Conneigre Peninsula.

“A big thank you to all of our crews fighting the wildfires in central Newfoundland right now and helping to keep people safe,” the prime minister said on Twitter.

On Sunday morning, the government banned open fires for the entire province to protect resources and contain the fire. According to a press release from the Ministry of Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture, setting fire on forest land or within 300 meters of a forest area is also prohibited.

“Recent dry weather, wind and hot temperatures have worsened wildfires in the central part of the island. The wildfire index is at critical levels in many parts of the province,” the document said.