Ontario aircraft on the way, financial assistance announced as wildfires rage across N.L.

Out-of-control wildfire in N.L. Grows to 5,000 hectares

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As a young fire burned near Paddy's Pond on the Trans-Canada Highway, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan said two water bombers and a bird dog aircraft from Ontario were expected to arrive Monday afternoon.

Hogan said the Canadian Armed Forces are also deploying 40 firefighters Monday afternoon, with 40 more arriving on Tuesday. 

Water bombers are focused on the Conception Bay North fire near Western Bay and Adam's Cove, and about 50 firefighters are on the ground, Hogan said.

Provincial fire duty officer Mark Lawlor said there is progress building a fire guard on the fire's northern side and he hopes it will be done in the next few days.

There are no additional reports of structure loss due to that fire, which has grown to over 5,200 hectares.

"That actually is a good number," said Hogan. "I think we should be happy with and thankful that the work is starting to pay off."

Hogan declared a regional state of emergency on Saturday, for the Bay De Verde peninsula from Bristol's Hope to Whiteway.

Meanwhile, the Martin Lake fire remains active at 265 hectares. Hogan said high temperatures and wind conditions were challenging for crews. There is an increased potential for the fire to spread toward Route 360 on the Bay d'Espoir Highway.

The fire in Holyrood is now classified as under control, with no growth as it remains at 22 hectares. 

Forestry Minister Lisa Dempster reminded residents that the entire province is still under a fire ban. She said it's something she must repeat every day because people are still ignoring warnings. 

"It's reckless, it's careless," said Dempster. "If the people saw and heard what we did... I don't think they would be continuing to carry on."

On Friday the provincial government announced fines for violating the ban are now $50,000 to $150,000, and up to a year imprisonment. On Monday the St. John's Regional Fire Department reported it had notified authorities of three illegal fires overnight.

Justice and Public Safety Minister John Haggie said that starting Monday the province will distribute one-time emergency financial assistance of $500 to each person who was ordered to evacuate from their primary residence. The money will be provided to evacuees through the Red Cross.

The premier estimated that about 3,000 people have been evacuated so far. 

Affected areas include Burnt Point, Gull Island, Northern Bay, Salmon Cove, Ochre Pit Cove, Perry's Cove, Kingston, certain sections of Holyrood, the unincorporated area of Western Bay, Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead- Broad Cove, Musgrave Harbour and Badger.

Hogan said the province is working to help residents who lost their homes find a place to live.

He added that it would be extremely difficult to ban the use of ATVs or visiting wooded areas, like Nova Scotia has done.

"People literally do live in wooded areas. So, I don't know how you ban people from their homes," Hogan said.

According to the provincial wildfire dashboard, in Labrador there are two wildfires burning out of control, the Udjuktok Bay fire and the Traverspine fire, located 19 kilometres south of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. 

As of Monday morning the vast majority of the island of Newfoundland is at an extreme risk of fire, whereas Labrador ranges from a low risk to very high.

The provincial government announced in a social media post the health authority is temporarily opening a primary care pop-up clinic at the Carbonear Community Health Services Building on Monday.

Fraser Fry, senior operations officer for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services eastern rural zone, said evacuees can still access health-care services, including through the evacuation centres where they can get primary health care as well as mental health and addiction services.

The Carbonear General Hospital and Dr. A.A. Wilkinson Memorial Health Centre emergency departments are still open, even with the state of emergency.

Meteorologist Veronica Sullivan said the forecast remains poor for fighting the wildfires.

She said the northern and northwest Avalon Peninsula will have high temperatures on Monday and winds will be blowing from the southwest at 30 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 50 kilometres per hour.

Environment Canada has heat warnings across Newfoundland and Labrador and Sullivan said she expects the heat warning for the northern Avalon and eastern Newfoundland to persist until later in the week.

"So we won't see a reprieve from that heat until Thursday rolls along," said Sullivan.

A low pressure system could bring a few showers to eastern Newfoundland, she said but added it's several days away and the forecast could change.

"Until then, it's more of the same — just hot temperatures and little relief at night as the lows overnight are between 18 and 20 degrees."

Mark Ploughman, a councillor with Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove, said the town is helping evacuees with things like transportation and accessing medication.

"We're there for not just our residents, but also the residents of the surrounding communities who are our neighbours, who are in unincorporated municipalities."

He said people who own dwellings that have been destroyed have been notified.

Ploughman said evacuees are facing major dilemmas, like waiting for news on when they will be able to return to their homes and whether their homes are still standing or if there is smoke damage. He added power was cut off to the community, so food might have to be thrown out.

Journalist

Maddie Ryan is a reporter and associate producer in St. John's. Reach her at madison.ryan@cbc.ca.

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