Stephanie Hill and her boyfriend slept in their vehicle Wednesday because the Bay d’Espoir Freeway was closed. (Submitted by Stephanie Hill)
Despite efforts to open the Bay d’Espoir Highway over the weekend, provincial wildfire officer Jeff Motty says a worsening wildfire and increasingly hot weather have made the road unsafe for to driving
Motty said the intensity of the fire and the poor visibility of the smoke had made the road impassable.
“It’s impossible to travel on that road. You could have head-on collisions; you could have people driving off the side of the road. It’s very important that people heed our warnings.”
Friday morning, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture tweeted that the wildfire had crossed the northern stretch of Route 360. Motty said the fact that the fire crossed a roadway is concerning because it indicates the fire is has become more intense.
Motty said he doesn’t know when the road will reopen, but fire crews will focus on reopening the road on Friday.
Update on the Bay D’Espoir Freeway (Rt 360): The fire has crossed the northern section of the freeway and the road will remain closed throughout the day. The next Rt 360 update is scheduled for tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/FKH65x94z7
—@FFA_GovNL
“It’s unfortunate and we really feel for the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador who depend on Route 360 to get to important appointments, get supplies, you know, just enjoy their overall quality of life,” he said.
Four helicopters and three water bombers were scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Friday, he said.
A plane and a bird dog crew have already arrived from Quebec, and two more water bombers are scheduled to arrive around 4 p.m., after a delay on Thursday due to thunder and lightning.
Just before noon on Friday, Premier Andrew Furey tweeted that he had contacted the federal government for more assistance to fight the fire.
Our government is closely monitoring the wildfires in central Newfoundland and appreciates Quebec’s support. I have been talking to my federal colleagues to let them know that we may need more support and I am sure they will be there when needed. Take care of yourself. pic.twitter.com/dfNMCfsbYs
— @FureyAndrew
Warnings for cabin owners
As of Friday morning, the fire near the Bay d’Espoir Freeway was one of three fires burning in central Newfoundland.
Motty said the fire near Bay d’Espoir Highway had grown to 1,488 hectares, while the fire near Paradise Lake had grown to more than 830 hectares and the fire near Southern Lake had likely grown from 70 hectares
A fire near Carbonear has been extinguished, Motty said.
Those with cabins/campers around Great Rattling Brook (North & South), Miguel & Martin Lake, Tote Brook, Paradise Lake, Sunday Pond & Northwest Gander River Cabin Areas – please note that wildfire is extremely active For safety, it is imp to leave the area. pic.twitter.com/3VJsYu3PBX
—@FFA_GovNL
In a news release Thursday, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture warned people camping or having cabins near the Espoir Bay Highway and Paradise Lake fires to evacuate immediately .
There has been no warning to cabin owners near the Southern Lake fires, but Motty recommended they also leave the area.
He said as of Thursday, crews had yet to see any cabins lost to the fire and said property owners have been cooperating with the evacuation.
Dozens stranded
Thousands of people have been cut off from essential services and dozens of people have been stranded due to the highway closure.
Stephanie Hill, who lives in Hermitage, traveled to Gander when the road opened Wednesday morning, only to be stranded when the road closed again around noon.
Hill and her boyfriend ended up sleeping in their truck in the parking lot of the Exploits River Motel and Restaurant, located near the start of the Bay d’Espoir Highway. He said the motel had no vacancies, but staff did their best to help those who were stranded.
She said manager Rick Larocque let people use the restroom and offered free coffee and tea.
“It was so nice to see. So nice to see. Very impressive,” he said. “Making the best of a bad situation, it wasn’t too bad really.”
In an interview with The St. John’s Morning Show, Larocque said motel staff and Salvation Army emergency responders have done everything they can to help the stranded people. He said by Friday morning, between 50 and 70 vehicles were in the parking lot, all stuck for a second night.
Although the motel remains full, Larocque said they won’t be turning anyone away.
“We’re not turning anyone away by any means. I get a call at any time of the night when we’re closed and I’ll come down and open the restaurant, I’ll let nobody go to the bathroom,” he said.
The road reopened for a few hours Thursday morning and Hill was able to drive home, but she said the continued closure is stressful. Hill, who works as a nurse, said the Harbor Breton hospital has limited resources.
“What if there’s an emergency, what if there’s, you know, cardiac arrest? Anything that somebody really needs to get to? [Grand Falls-Windsor],” she said.
“You’re a little lonely.”
Warm temperatures, lightning that make efforts difficult
Motty said fires with natural causes, such as lightning, can be more difficult to put out because they generally have more time to grow before extinguishing efforts begin.
“These fires that we have now are being fueled, I guess, by the drought-like conditions that we’ve had over the last few weeks and the high temperatures midday and throughout the day,” he said.
Temperatures in the area of the Espoir Bay Hwy and Paradise Lake fire were set to reach 29C on Friday. Motty said the high temperatures will likely be followed by another thunderstorm.
“Mother nature has certainly not been our friend when it comes to forest fire management,” he said.
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