Wildfires Ravage Newfoundland, Leaving Thousands Displaced
Nearly 3,000 residents of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Bay de Verde peninsula have been ordered to evacuate as four wildfires continue to burn across the province. Among them is Barbara Watson, who last Monday saw smoke in the distance and assumed it was just a small fire in the woods. She packed lightly — a small bag, some clean laundry, and her asthma inhaler — and drove to a friend’s home, believing she’d be back in a couple of days.
By nightfall, the sky glowed orange and plumes of grapefruit-coloured smoke towered over her town. Evacuation orders quickly spread, forcing her to move again and again through the night. On Thursday, while staying in a shelter, Barbara came across a photo on Facebook — a stranger had posted it — showing her home reduced to rubble. It was the first confirmation she had that the church she had lovingly converted into her dream home was gone.
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Her loss is one among many. The largest wildfire, originating in Kingston in the Conception Bay North area, has grown to nearly 50 square kilometres. The province’s firefighting efforts have included four water bombers, five helicopters, and a 50-person ground crew, with additional support from Quebec and New Brunswick. Ontario, dealing with its own fires, withheld its promised water bombers. High winds, dry conditions, and heatwaves pushing temperatures up to 37°C have made the battle relentless.
Premier John Hogan has cautioned against expecting a quick end, noting that hot, dry weather will likely continue through the week. While some fires have been brought under control — including one in Holyrood and another near Happy Valley-Goose Bay — others remain out of control and threatening communities.
In Carbonear, about 1,000 evacuees have poured into a town of just 5,000, staying in school shelters or with generous locals offering spare rooms. Many evacuees face agonizing delays in learning the fate of their homes, sometimes finding out through social media or even doorbell camera footage.
For Barbara, the hardest part is not just the building she lost, but the irreplaceable keepsakes possibly gone with it: mementos of her son Tyler, who died the year he was born in 1987. A clipping of his hair, photos, and his autopsy report had been stored in her pantry — now likely destroyed. She carries the house key on her keychain, a small reminder of what once was, though it no longer opens any door.
Across Newfoundland, these fires have destroyed more than property; they have torn into the lives, memories, and sense of security of thousands. And as the wind shifts and the flames move, many can do little but wait, watch, and hope.
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