The worst wildfires to hit Newfoundland and Labrador in more than 60 years have stranded hundreds of travelers who had returned to the island’s south coast for a series of summer festivals and reunions, while officials scramble to get food to communities that have cut off by the huge fire. People living in more than a dozen small communities on Newfoundland’s south coast have been stuck there since last week, when wildfires once again forced the closure of the Bay d’Espoir Highway — the remote, heavily forested artery that is the only road connection with the rest of the province. Travelers trying to leave the area are abandoning their vehicles and cramming onto ferries that have been overwhelmed by groups of people hoping to get out. Many of those stranded in these small communities had traveled for the Come Home Year celebrations, a series of political events and concerts encouraging Newfoundlanders living off-island to return for reunification. In Harbor Breton, a community of about 1,600, more than 300 people who had come to town for a Saturday concert as part of those celebrations were stranded by the fires. The concert headliner still performed his show, but had to be transferred to a fishing boat because the road to town was impassable. In a part of the province where some isolated ports still rely on a network of small ferries as a vital transport link, the fires and highway closures have created a logistical nightmare. “You can imagine the chaos that ensues. I had 140 people text me this morning saying they had to go,” said Stephen Crews, mayor of Hermitage-Sandyville, a town of about 400 on Newfoundland’s south coast. “I just told them to get in line for the ship and I hope you’re one of the lucky ones who gets to get on.” The fires are affecting a huge swath of central Newfoundland, where on Sunday a state of emergency that already included areas around Grand Falls-Windsor, Bishop’s Falls and the Connaigre Peninsula was expanded as flames spread further out of control. The fires are the biggest in Newfoundland since 1961, Prime Minister Andrew Furey said. Mr Crewe said he was trying to coordinate an emergency helicopter mission, planned for Tuesday, of basic food items such as baby formula, milk and bread. Harbor Breton’s deputy mayor said his community’s three grocery stores will run out of food within a day or two. Roy Drake owns one of those stores and already, there isn’t a jug of milk or a loaf of bread left on any of his shelves, he said. “Things are starting to get stressful for most residents,” Mr. Drake said in a telephone interview from city hall. “We have to bring food in a day or so for them to help us. Not just for Harbor Breton, but for the whole region.” Health officials, meanwhile, removed cancer patients by helicopter and boat and are taking others to a hospital in Gander. Pregnant women were told to avoid the hospital in Grand Falls-Windsor, where staff said they could not turn on the air conditioning because of thick smoke. An emergency shelter set up to house stranded travelers in Grand Falls had to be moved to Deer Lake, more than 200 kilometers to the west, as the fires have grown. While an evacuation order had not been issued as of Monday morning, buses were being arranged to transport people concerned about air quality from the affected areas to Deer Lake. On the south coast, where salmon framing is a major employer, aquaculture companies are shipping huge cargoes of fish feed, a critical supply normally carried daily by a fleet of transport trucks, by boat as the highway remains closed. “We only have one way in and one way out,” Mr Crewe said. “This situation proves that we have to find another route here, I don’t care what it takes. This affects everything from medical appointments and surgeries to food and work. “ The fires began consuming tracts of forest around the Bay d’Espoir Highway after a lightning strike on July 24, during one of the hottest and driest summers in memory in central Newfoundland. As of Sunday, the provincial government reported four active fires covering about 10,800 hectares. Fire crews were working around the clock, hurling wide decods along the waterways, trying to build firebreaks to slow the flames. Water bombers, including planes sent from Quebec, continued to attack the fires from above. Canadian Forces soldiers, along with personnel from several federal agencies, were helping to coordinate evacuation plans. The Prime Minister said changing wind patterns were making the situation difficult to deal with, but so far the flames had not reached any communities. Rain was in the forecast for Tuesday, but it was unclear how much rain would reach the worst-hit areas. At a press conference on Sunday alongside Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Derrick Bragg and Department of Natural Resources Incident Commander Craig Coady, Mr Furey said conditions had changed rapidly in 36 hours and there were concerns about significant smoke impacts. Mr Coady said the fires would likely continue to burn out of control due to dry conditions and winds complicating fighting efforts. With a report by The Canadian Press The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
