Wet weather expected to help fight Badger wildfire, says N.L. fire officer
NL·Updated
Residents of Badger fled their community on Wednesday as a wildfire grew, but they're remaining optimistic that the weather is turning in their favour.
A resident of Badger, who was forced to flee with her family as a wildfire inched closer to her community, says it's been a stressful couple of days, but the sight of water bombers in the sky and rain are a welcomed reprieve.
Colleen Patey told CBC News she could hear water bombers flying overhead, heading in the direction of her community on Wednesday evening while staying at a hotel in nearby Grand Falls-Windsor, roughly 30 kilometres east.
"It was a very comforting sound to hear," Patey said on Thursday.
"Then around 5 a.m., 6 a.m. this morning, I heard an even more beautiful sound, which was the sound of rain."
However, Patey said leaving town was a nerve-racking experience and brought back memories of the 1999 fire, which also forced Badger residents to evacuate.
"For me, to leave the town again, a suitcase in hand, and you go over that bridge leading to Grand Falls and you look in your rearview mirror and you see all that dark, black smoke and everything again? It really did bring me back to the 1999 fire," she said.
The current fire started on Tuesday, ignited by a lightning strike near the community.
On Wednesday, the province ordered residents to evacuate to Grand Falls-Windsor. The provincial government also issued a provincewide fire ban.
Police are now blocking access to Badger.
Forestry protection supervisor Jeff Motty anticipates Thursday will be a busy one.
"If everything holds through, the [fire weather index] should decrease down to a level of moderate," he told CBC News on Wednesday evening, "which will be good for our crews to be able to get in and just start working that fire and trying to put out any hotspots and anything in between that they can get out."
He said the fire was 600 metres from the town, but they have downgraded it from a Rank 5 fire to Rank 3.
He expects firefighting efforts to pick up as well — there are 35 personnel on site and, Motty said, they've asked for more resources.
"We'll get waterbombers back out on site to work the northwest flank. A helicopter will be bucketing too," said Motty.
As of Thursday morning, the provincial fire hazard map lists the central area of Newfoundland as having a very high risk of fire.
Badger Mayor Dennis Butt is cautiously optimistic about firefighting efforts going forward.
"We're still considering this 'very critical.' We don't want to give anyone any false reassurance," he told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning.
Butt said the fire is directly across from the town, but it hasn't jumped the river. Fire crews remained in the town overnight using sprinklers on infrastructure in case the fire did reach the community.
And some residents chose to stay, despite the evacuation order, said Butt.
As of Wednesday night, 575 residents had registered with the Red Cross at the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor, and Butt is encouraging others to register if they have not already. It can be done in person at the arena or by calling 709-729-0921.
Butt said all residents have been able to find accommodations.
"So [there is] a large outpouring of support for our community and its residents. We can't be thankful enough for that," he said.
CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler said there was good news overnight on efforts to fight the fire, with 2.5 millimetres of rain being recorded in Badger. Another three to five millimetres is expected tonight.
"The humid weather today is also welcome news and will stick around through Friday. High humidity generally means decreased fire behaviour," she said.
Brauweiler said Thursday will be less windy than Wednesday, but it will still be blowing out of the southwest, gusting between 25 and 30 km/h at times.
Elizabeth Whitten is a journalist with CBC News, based in St. John's.
With files from Alex Kennedy, The St. John’s Morning Show and Newfoundland Morning
