More wildfires are popping up in Labrador but fire crews are fighting to keep towns safe

CBC

July 10, 2024 at 4:47 p.m.·2 min read

Jenny Gear comments: I thought I would forward these photos I took last evening of smoke rising from the fires burning in the Grand Lake area, here in Labrador. This morning, we were faced with a wall of smoke. (Submitted by Jenny Gear - image credit)

There were 13 wildfires in Labrador as of Wednesday afternoon. (Submitted by Jenny Gear)

Fire crews are staying busy in Labrador, as they're battling more than a dozen active wildfires in the region.

This week started with 11, but provincial forest fire duty officer Jeff Motty said recent lightning strikes made for a busy 48 hours. As of Wednesday afternoon the provincial forest fire online map showed 13 active fires.

"Last night we were fortunate enough to get rain across most of Labrador. But the night before, when lightning moved across the landscape, we had a lot of new starts," Motty told CBC News on Wednesday.

Most of Labrador's fires are in remote areas, Motty said, but they're still important to track.

"When conditions are dry in the forest and you get lightning moving through the areas, it's really easy for the forest to be ignited by Mother Nature," he said.

Crews continue to battle fires near Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Labrador City.

Motty said there are two fires of note near Happy Valley-Goose Bay, but rain Tuesday night helped firefighters' efforts.

"We did two and a half hours of aircraft exercises or action on that fire yesterday afternoon, and the water bombers were really busy," he said.

"But hopefully now with that effort and the rain that fell in Happy Valley-Goose Bay last night … it'll be in good status today."

As of Wednesday afternoon, the two fires closest to Happy Valley-Goose Bay are listed as out of control on the province's wildfire dashboard.

The fire near Labrador City is also listed as out of control, but Motty said the risk of that blaze is decreasing.

"There's a lot of water around that area and two fire crews were active on that fire yesterday," he said.

Fire crews in Labrador will also soon see a shift change.

Motty said spirits are high among crew members, and incident management teams are looking out for the firefighters to ensure they receive adequate rest.

"Safety is most paramount when it comes to wildfires," he said.

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