Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor Barry Manuel says the city is in regular contact with provincial and federal officials, as well as nearby municipalities, including Bishop’s Falls and Botwood, where emergencies are now located.
Grand Falls-Windsor is offering residents who are concerned about poor air quality caused by the wildfires and would like to leave the city, the option to leave.
A bus will leave for the Hodder Memorial Center in Deer Lake — where the provincial government evacuation center is located — at 11:00 this morning. Residents will be housed there until it is safe to return to Grand Falls-Windsor. Two pick-up points have been set up: one at Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium and the other at Windsor Stadium. People are asked to arrive by 10:00 am
While none of the communities in the center are currently in danger from the flames, the matter says Manuel is smoke that can cause severe respiratory problems. Communities as far away as Lewisporte and Twillingate have experienced the haze and smell of smoke from the fires.
He says they want residents to be vigilant as weather and wind make the fire’s progress less predictable.
Water bombers from neighboring Quebec arrived in the province to join efforts to extinguish the blaze at the centre.
Meanwhile, the Beaver Brook antimony mine in Central Newfoundland joined officials from Nalcor building a fire along the route of the Nalcor transmission line. The company has “dedicated every possible resource” to the effort, starting at the Nor-west Gander River Road site and working toward Cooper’s Brook in the direction of Grand Falls-Windsor.
The company commends the work of employee Brad Eastman, who volunteered to work throughout Saturday afternoon and Sunday to help build the fire, with special thanks to Matthew Johnson with local contractor Johnsons for their volunteer assistance in the same effort.
Beaver Brook Operations Manager Roland Mullett says the work will help protect the nearby cabins and communities of Glenwood, Appleton and Gander if the fire reaches that area.
