Churchill Falls residents on edge over forest fire after town makes hasty evacuation
Emergency centre set up at YMCA closing as all residents have been taken care of
The emergency operations centre set up in Happy Valley-Goose Bay will close on Thursday evening, the town says, as the hundreds of people who fled from wildfires in Churchill Falls found other places to spend the night.
As the government ordered a ban on open fires across all of Newfoundland and most of Labrador, officials put all major firefighting resources against an out-of-control fire that is on the doorstep of one of North America's largest power plants.
On Wednesday night, forestry officials ordered the hasty evacuation of Churchill Falls, a company town that exists to keep Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's generating station running. The massive hydroelectric plant provides power to the province and about 15 per cent of neighbouring Quebec's power.
There are two major fires west of Churchill Falls, with the closer one putting Churchill Falls at peril. It is separated only by the Churchill River — a waterway that flames could quickly cross.
On Thursday, Premier Andrew Furey announced a provincial fire ban was in effect.
"The bulk of our assets are deployed in Labrador right now and as a result we want to make sure we don't have subsequent, other threats that could dilute efforts in fighting the fire in Churchill Falls," he told reporters.
Forestry Minister Elvis Loveless said he believed the fire ban is an important cautionary measure to help reduce the risk of further fires being started and helps support firefighter teams that are currently at work.
"I strongly encourage all residents to be extra vigilant when taking part in outdoor activities — as high temperatures as we can see out there today — high temperatures are forecasted for the coming days are expected to keep the fire hazard risk at elevated levels."
The province has asked for additional support to fight the fires, including two water bombers from Quebec that arrived on Thursday evening.
Small crew still on site at power station
On Thursday, Hydro spokesperson Jill Pitcher said a few dozen people are still on site and the plant is still in production. However, she said the weather forecast — with wind, high temperatures and dryness — is concerning.
At the moment, Pitcher said smoke is a risk factor for operations, as it can affect insulators and affect transmission as well as cause trips.
Residents were asked to be out of the community by 8:15 p.m. AT Wednesday, and were told to head to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, about 287 kilometres away. There is only one road connecting the towns.
Provincial forest fire duty officer Bryan Oke told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning Thursday that the fire — according to the latest available report — was just three to four kilometres south of Churchill Falls.
The fire, though, had not jumped the south of the Churchill River. He said he is hoping the geography will help firefighters with their efforts.
Oke said all four of the province's water bombers are being used to contain the fire, as well as five helicopters. He said requests have been made with federal officials for additional resources, including a fire behaviour specialist.
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro said a small crew of essential personnel will stay on site at the generating station as long as it is safe to do so.
An update sent just after 6 p.m. Thursday said the plant remains in full operation, and that scenarios are being consider should teams be required to evacuate.
Environment Canada said Churchill Falls set a weather record on Wednesday, with a high of 32.6 C.
Pack up and go
Beverly Bennett made the journey out of Churchill Falls Wednesday evening with her child and dog.
"You kind of had to pack and go very quickly. We had about 45 minutes from the time we received the message. It's short but then the fire was big. So we had to move," she told CBC News on Thursday.
However, her husband is still in Churchill Falls where he's working. Bennett said she was able to speak with him early Thursday.
"The town right now is not too bad. It's smoky, but he's gone for a rest and he's got to go back in again for another shift tonight," said Bennett.
- Have you been affected by the evacuations in Churchill Falls? Cross Country Checkup is asking when your city was faced with a crisis – what acts of kindness have you received or given? Fill out this form and you could have your comment read on the show.
"It's hard leaving everything behind, as it is for everyone else in the town. But safety comes first."
Bennett said the people still in town, like her husband, are sending out updates to let them know their homes are safe.
Eighty-six people were housed at the local YMCA in Happy Valley-Goose Bay overnight, while everyone else found living arrangements with family and friends.
Less than 24 hours after the centre opened, the town announced it had closed the centre because no one needed to stay there anymore.
"They were all interspersed throughout the community with family and friends or in apartments that people have offered up," Happy Valley-Goose Bay Fire Chief Brad Butler said Thursday evening.
"The community has been phenomenal in their support. So now we have, I'm going to say, 400 people ... throughout the community, with family and friends and they're being taken care of."
Mattresses will remain inside the YMCA building for if they are needed later this week.
Butler said temporary workers, seasonal workers and contractors working for N.L. Hydro were flown out of the community and into St. John's by Hydro with aid from PAL Airlines.
'It's crazy,' man says of flight from Churchill Falls
Terry Griffin, who was working in the town, said he was able to hit the road quickly after getting an order — and then drove into a raging thunderstorm.
"It's crazy. And then we ran into this crazy storm coming through. That was nuts," he said.
"I've never seen nothing like it before. Chased out of town by a forest fire and I was almost thinking of going back, that's how bad the storm was."
Churchill Falls resident Robert Dawe said Thursday he felt exhausted after only getting two and a half hours of sleep. He said the evacuation "felt like something out of a movie."
But he said everyone he saw leaving on the highway did so in a calm manner. As traffic was bumper to bumper during a storm, he said evacuees were "treated to quite the light show."
Susan Chislett, who had arrived with her family at the designated check-in point at the local YMCA, said driving out the town she was born and raised in was "surreal."
"We're looking in the rear view mirror and we're looking and saying it's so dark back there and we have everything we need in the truck because we have us," she told CBC News, standing next to her daughter, Madison Chislett.
While she has seen fires before, she said it never came to an evacuation order before.
"We didn't really think it was a possibility, I guess, or we didn't want to think that it was a possibility until it actually hit home when people were saying, 'This could be bad.'"
Everybody's helping each other out, which is needed in a time like this."- Cody Baker
Wednesday's quick departure from Churchill Falls made the night a chaotic one for evacuees, but one said the support they've already received has brightened their spirits.
Cody Baker, who had only arrived in Churchill Falls for work from Botwood on Wednesday afternoon, said it was great to see the neighbouring towns pull together.
"For the short amount of time, I think that everybody pulled together really well," he said.
"It was pretty neat to see a hundred vehicles ahead of you and a hundred vehicles behind you and everybody is sort of sticking together. And if somebody broke down, you'd see somebody pull over. Everybody's helping each other out, which is needed in a time like this."
Linda Kean is part of the Salvation Army, working to provide people at the YMCA with food and drinks.
"We just got to be here," she said. "Just be friendly with them, and support them and feed them and just show them love."
'We'll just go day by day'
Chislett said throughout the week they had been getting messages about the fires but hadn't thought it would lead to an evacuation order.
"Basically it was a typical day in Churchill Falls until we'd seen a fire that we actually thought was somewhat put out, basically erupt again. And so we knew it was starting to burn again," said Chislett.
She said her husband came back from work and said he had seen the smoke.
"It was at that point we kind of just said 'OK, let's just sit and do what we've got to do.'"
Not everyone headed east for safety. Some travelled west. Labrador City Mayor Belinda Adams said Thursday she was anticipating the arrival of as many as 70 people.
Madison Chislett said they didn't have much time to get out. "It was pretty quick," said Madison. In her haste to grab what she needed, Madison said she forgot to pack socks.
Chislett said most things — like socks and toothbrushes — can be replaced but she recalled telling her husband when they arrived at the evacuation check-in point they were safe and had already arranged to stay with family.
"That's the main thing and we'll just go day by day. We'll see what happens," said Chislett.
She said many people helped get them to safety. While they were driving out of town, police officers were there to ask them if they were OK and took their names. When they arrived in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, there was a "full brigade of people checking on us."
There was also someone to guide them to the YMCA, even out during the storm. "It's heartwarming," said Chislett.
Chislett hopes they have a home to go back to, adding it's where her daughter grew up.
"We can always rebuild if we need to and thousands have done that. And we've watched them and helped them to do it. So it's our turn now to kinda bite the bullet and do what we've got to do to make sure we're all safe and happy and healthy."
Elizabeth Power, 12, was also at the YMCA, said she believed everything would turn out OK.
"We're going to figure this out and there's people who are willing to help us if something happens and we're in trouble," she said.
"They're going to be safe eventually."
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With files from Heidi Atter, Labrador Morning, Patrick Butler and Peter Cowan
