Smoke from an encroaching wildfire is seen over homes after an evacuation was ordered in the eastern Canadian community of Labrador City, Newfoundland, July 12, 2024.Josh Bingle/Reuters
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey called it a “good news day” as he announced some Labrador City residents will be allowed to return home after a wildfire forced an evacuation last week.
Furey said early Saturday that essential workers will be allowed to return over the next 48 hours to prepare for the full city’s return when the evacuation order is lifted on Monday at noon.
“We’re sighing a big sigh of relief here in the inland today as the fire situation has come under control,” Furey said.
People allowed to return to Labrador City over the weekend include health-care workers and their families and grocery workers.
Furey said those groups will be allowed to return first as part of the “common sense” goal getting the necessary goods and services running for the rest of the population.
There were approximately 200 health-care workers displaced when the evacuation order in Labrador City was issued, according to Furey.
Furey said the fire near Labrador City, now under control, remains a Category 1 blaze – the lowest on a scale that goes up to six – with the fire smouldering near ground level.
Though fire officials said some suppression efforts are needed to get the blaze fully extinguished, Furey said good weather and efforts by firefighters helped get the fire under control.
Furey said the probability of risk to Labrador City is very low and there hasn’t been any damage to the town.
More than 7,000 residents of Labrador City were ordered to evacuate last week after a sudden shift in conditions reignited the once-smouldering fire and it moved toward the town.
Labrador City is the second community in Labrador to be evacuated because of wildfires this summer. Residents of Churchill Falls in central Labrador were forced to flee their homes on June 19. They were allowed to return two weeks later.
Crews have been dousing the flames from above with water bombers and helicopters, and the premier says firefighters on the ground have also been working to get the blaze under control.