Labrador wildfire ‘got worse really fast,’ residents given minutes to flee: evacuee

LABRADOR — Hundreds of people had a white-knuckle drive through a sky-splitting lightning storm Wednesday night after an out-of-control wildfire forced them to leave their homes behind in central Labrador.

Robert Dawe said cars and trucks were “bumper to bumper” along the remote, two-lane Trans-Labrador Highway as people made the three-hour drive from Churchill Falls to Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The emergency order to evacuate the community was texted and emailed to residents at 7:30 p.m. local time, giving them 45 minutes to pack and leave, he said in an interview.

“I wasn’t surprised, because I know the fire was close,” Dawe said. “But the wind was blowing it closer to town and it flared up. It was under control, but it got worse really fast.”

Officials said Wednesday night that they ordered everyone to leave Churchill Falls because of rapidly changing conditions. As of Thursday morning, the closest fire was about 10 kilometres away, encompassing about seven square kilometres southwest of the town. Another wildfire was burning out of control about 30 kilometres northwest of the town, covering 18 square kilometres.

Churchill Falls is home to about 700 people, most of whom work at the local hydroelectric generating station, which supplies power to Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro issued a statement Thursday saying all residents had been safely evacuated and the fire remained on the side of the Churchill River opposite the town.

“Forecasts are not favourable, but there is an incredible co-ordinated effort being led by the province,” the statement said. A small crew was still on site at the generating station and production levels were normal, it added.

Perry Trimper, the Liberal member of the provincial legislature for the region, said Thursday that more than 500 evacuees had checked in with officials in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Some were given beds at the YMCA, but most had friends and family they were staying with, he said in an interview.

He said teams of volunteers loaded mattresses into the YMCA on Wednesday for people fleeing Churchill Falls. Businesses stayed open late to feed them, and residents from all over the community showed up at the YMCA to help out.

And it all happened in the midst of a raging thunder and rainstorm, he said.

“I’ll use the word ‘apocalyptic,’” Trimper said. “It was a storm none of us have ever witnessed before. And to see people coming from their vehicles in this amazing storm, trying to find a place to stay, it was quite an experience.”

Dawe, 55, said he is staying with his girlfriend and their five dogs in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, while his mother, daughter and son are staying in a camper with two other dogs. He works as a fleet planner at the Churchill Falls generating station and said he’ll likely get some work done Thursday on the laptop he managed to grab on his way out of town.

Meanwhile, an update from community officials said four water bombers and four helicopters equipped with water buckets were being used to douse the flames. Trimper said officials are keeping a close eye on the winds. “If the winds continue out of the west, that fire is going to get more serious,” he said.

Premier Andrew Furey is expected to provide an update on the fires later in the day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2024.

Vehicles leave Churchill Falls, N.L. under a threat of a wildfire in a Wednesday, June 19, 2024 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Robert Dawe