Plans developed quickly to turn the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor into an emergency shelter for residents of nearby Badger, who were forced to flee from a growing wildfire near their town.

The fire started on Tuesday following a lightning strike in the community. It was burning at nearly 1,100 hectares in size as of 8 p.m. Wednesday evening and was 600 metres from the town, but Forestry Protection Supervisor Jeff Motty told CBC News the fire has been downgraded from a Rank 5 fire to Rank 3.

Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor Barry Manuel said the town was preparing to help as soon as lightning was reported, knowing that a fire could start.

People fleeing from Badger are able to access food, drinks, shelter, games and more at the stadium.

"[There's] a lot of support, a lot of volunteers obviously, but right now everything is still pretty fluid and we just hope that the situation improves for those people," Manuel told CBC News Wednesday afternoon.

Manuel said support has come in many forms, with people offering up things like Airbnbs for people to stay and land to park vehicles. The local SPCA has also sprung into action to help care for the pets travelling with evacuees.

Grand Falls-Windsor isn't a stranger to evacuations and helping in times of need. The town dealt with a large fire of its own in 2022 that forced residents to evacuate.

"There's so many people in town already who have reached out quickly to offer their assistance. And it just goes to show that there are a lot of people who are very empathetic and very caring. And it is what community is," Manuel said.

"We've been in this situation before, and I know other communities have offered support as well. So we're going to help however we can."

Members of the Salvation Army were quick to mobilize Wednesday, providing snacks, hydration and three square meals. Hamburgers were being flipped, beds were being set up, and staff were making sure mental health supports were in place.

"We're preparing for a couple of days, but you know, as this progresses we'll learn more," said Mike Barry, a member of the Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services team.

Barry said making sure residents are supported is key — especially with what they've gone through in recent memory.

Some families in the community of around 500 people were evacuated from their homes in February when the Exploits River nearly flooded, and the region has seen nearby fires in the past as well.

"The residents of Badger have been through a lot in the past years, and so they're concerned," Barry said.

"It's very close to their community. There are concerns about, you know, dealing with floods and now fires. Some of them are just getting tired of it."

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Alex Kennedy is a digital reporter with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador based in Corner Brook. He previously worked with CBC N.L. in St. John's, and has a particular interest in stories about sports and interesting people.

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