Paradise Lake forest fire a 'sleeping giant' as hot spots continue to burn
CBC
The largest of three major forest fires in central Newfoundland has the potential to worsen if hot and dry conditions continue in the Grand Falls-Windsor region, says a provincial fire official.
Forest fire duty officer Mark Lawlor said Thursday the Paradise Lake forest fire is still considered out of control, as crews work to cut into the number of hot spots it contains.
"I'm going to venture and say we have thousands of hot spots on that fire. It's a huge fire, it's 17,000 hectares," Lawlor said.
"The scope and the scale of that fire is so large that it's going to take time for us to get enough people on the ground to take care of all those hot spots. The fire is still a bit of a sleeping giant. If we get hot, dry weather again, the fire is quite capable of getting up and going again."
Fires have been burning across the central region since a lightning storm on July 24. A state of emergency put in place by the provincial government was lifted Aug. 12, while a provincial fire ban was also lifted earlier this week.
Thirty-four firefighters, including firefighters from Nova Scotia, are on the ground to fight the Paradise Lake fire, Lawlor said.
Crews in the region are also fighting two other fires, one burning near the Bay d'Espoir Highway and one off Southern Lake, near Point Leamington.
The Bay d'Espoir Highway fire is 50 per cent contained, said Lawlor.
"Speaking with the operations people yesterday, their comfort level is growing every day with that fire," he said. "We have a good handle on that fire, and the Bay d'Espoir Highway should remain open barring any unforeseen circumstances."
Lawlor said the Southern Lake fire has been harder to deal with. The fire is 283 hectares, according to Newfoundland and Labrador's Forestry Department.
"Where it's burning, it's up among a lot of cliffs and ledges, a difficult place for firefighters to get in. But that one is 30 per cent contained. We made good progress on it this week," Lawlor said.
Lawlor said conditions remain favourable with rain in the forecast, which could help crews get a better sense of where the remaining hot spots of the three fires are.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
A provincial court judge has issued a stern warning to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary to “rethink their approach” when it comes to dealing with complaints of threats and harassment in intimate partner relationships.
Some provincial funding targeted to struggling rural hospitals in the northeast is a boon but some CEO’s say it falls short of keeping them afloat.
A Ukrainian family in Halifax says the federal government needs to provide answers to the thousands of Ukrainians who are now learning that it could be more than 50 years before their permanent residency applications are processed.
On a cold January morning, the owners of Yassou Souvlaki & Donair in Fredericton are busy heating up the kitchen, slicing vegetables and donair meat to prepare for their lunch-hour crowd.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the CN Police Service are investigating following a train collision overnight in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, Que.
Six months after being displaced to a long-term care facility hundreds of kilometres away from his family, Jimmy Spence is holding out hope his days as an evacuee are numbered.
Saskatchewan women ages 43 and older can now sign up for mammogram screening without a doctor’s referral as part of a phased approach to get the eligibility age down to 40 by June.
Some schools, health centres and provincial civil service offices delayed opening or closed for the day on Monday due to weather conditions.
As a seasonal parking ban comes into effect on Edmonton’s residential roads this week, one councillor is concerned about how the city’s failure to fund towing teams will play out on city streets.
Students in B.C.’s biggest districts are missing significantly more school in recent years, with absences having tripled in some places, an exclusive CBC News analysis has found.
An Essex resident has been charged following a dog attack in town.
Charles Snell says he recognizes the need for more housing to be built in Thunder Bay, Ont., but that it shouldn’t come at the cost of losing green space.
Last year, Toronto had the fewest traffic-related deaths it’s recorded in a decade, just as a major road safety program has been removed from the city.