The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador says today’s cooler temperatures and possible precipitation make for favourable conditions in which to attack the wildfire threatening Labrador City.
In a news conference Sunday, Andrew Furey said the blaze that exploded into an inferno on Friday and triggered mass evacuations in the city did not significantly grow overnight, and a change in weather and wind patterns are “very encouraging.”
The premier says despite the progress, it’s too early to say when the roughly 7,450 city residents who were ordered to leave Friday night will be allowed to return to their homes.
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The fire had been considered under control earlier in the week, but a sudden change in weather conditions caused the blaze to grow from six to about 100 square kilometres on Friday.
Furey says Friday the fire became so powerful and “aggressive” as it was consuming dry fuel that it began to generate its own wind pattern.
Thanks to improved weather conditions and massive firefighting efforts, the premier says the fire remains about six kilometres away from Labrador City and one kilometre away from the town’s landfill.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan issued a statement on Sunday saying he has approved a request for assistance from the province and Ottawa will mobilize “all necessary federal resources” to attack the fire.
The nearby communities of Wabush, N.L., and Fermont, Que. are being asked to prepare to evacuate on short notice should the fire worsen.
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